The Cleveland Guardians have seen some of their best prospects graduate in the last two seasons. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, and Parker Messick are already big-league contributors.
However, they still have a top farm system in baseball, consistently praised by the media and prospect specialists. It’s better on position player talent, though, and there’s no shame in that.
Cooper Ingle, Ralphy Velazquez, Juan Brito, Angel Genao, CJ Kayfus, Jace LaViolette, and Jaison Chourio represent a very talented core of offensive players. How about the pitching, though?
Well, the Guardians don’t appear to have an ace in the making down on the farm, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent. In fact, analyst Cade Cracas put together a fun list of pitching prospects in the organization, and there are some intriguing names.
“The Top 5 Pitching Prospects I’m Most Excited to See Potentially in the Big Leagues Over the Next Few Seasons: 1. Khal Stephen, 2. Daniel Espino, 3. Austin Peterson, 4. Justin Campbell, 5. Braylon Doughty,” Cracas posted.
The Top 5 Pitching Prospects I’m Most Excited to See Potentially in the Big Leagues Over the Next Few Seasons:
1. Khal Stephen
2. Daniel Espino
3. Austin Peterson
4. Justin Campbell
5. Braylon Doughty#GuardsBall— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) June 11, 2026
The number one on his list, Stephen, came to Cleveland as the return in the Shane Bieber trade with Toronto. The right-hander is very talented and posted a 3.44 ERA in 12 starts and 55 innings in Double-A this year. Unfortunately, he is currently out with an elbow issue.
Espino was one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the entire league a few years ago, but shoulder issues and other ailments have stunted his development and delayed his debut. That MLB call-up, however, came on Thursday night, and he should be able to pitch in the majors within the next day or two.
Espino was converted to a reliever this year, and while his ERA is a bit high at 5.30 down in Columbus, he has struck out 29 batters in 18.2 innings and is always flirting with triple digits with his fastball. If Espino can keep the walks in check, he could be an asset for the Guardians.
Peterson is a depth arm worth following, as he is behind Logan Allen in the organizational starting pitching depth chart. Campbell has a 2.58 ERA in Double-A, and Doughty is at 3.59 in High-A.
Maybe the Guardians don’t have a can’t-miss pitching prospect, but they have some skilled arms who could be future contributors sooner than you think.
NEXT: Guardians Make A Long-Awaited Move Ahead Of Tigers Series
