Versatility is very important in today’s game, and the Cleveland Guardians understand this better than any other team. They try to prepare their players to cover multiple positions from the moment they join the organization as prospects.
This is exactly what’s happening with catcher Cooper Ingle and first baseman Ralphy Velazquez. They aren’t natural outfielders, but have been tried there to improve their chances of making the team and contributing.
They haven’t been called up yet, mainly because their primary positions are covered. As Guardians’ President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti explains, they are trying to increase their versatility to see if they can accommodate their impact bats in the majors eventually.
“We’ve seen that the more positions guys can play, the more chances they have to impact us up here. So we just don’t know where those opportunities are going to come from, so we try to help guys play a number of positions in Triple-A and prepare for that,” Antonetti said, per Guardians analyst Cade Cracas.
Ingle recently played his first pro game in left field. The future star is already MLB-ready offensively, but is not exactly an asset behind the plate, where Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedges already contribute Gold Glove-caliber defense.
If the Guardians can get Ingle, who is currently sporting an elite 182 wRC+ in Columbus, to play a decent left field, they could add a difference-making hitter to their MLB squad soon. And the same can be said about Velazquez, who is still adjusting to Triple-A pitching after coming up from Double-A in recent weeks, but carries first-round pedigree and elite skills.
“So, Ralphy (Velazquez) is gonna get time in the outfield. We’ll see Cooper Ingle get time in the outfield at some point. We’ve seen Cody Huff not only catch, but play first base, second base, third base. So again, all of those guys are getting some versatility because we’re trying to prepare them for where those opportunities might be up here,” the executive said.
#Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti on why guys like Ralphy Velazquez and Cooper Ingle may see time in the outfield at Triple-A:
"…We've seen that the more positions guys can play, the more chances they have to impact us up here. So we just don't know…
— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) June 2, 2026
The Guardians appear set to keep running Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins at the cold corner and DH spots most nights, so Velazquez will probably need to learn the outfield if he wants a more concrete chance to become a major leaguer this year. The first step, however, will be improving his 74 wRC+ in Triple-A, especially after posting a 162 mark in Double-A.
Ingle and Velazquez will probably feature in the Guardians’ lineup at some point this year or next, and their upside is huge. They will need to become passable defensive players at multiple positions, though, because the Guardians are deeper than ever before.
NEXT: Offense Comes Alive As Guardians Take Opener In New York
