The Cleveland Guardians chose outfielder Khalil Watson to replace Chase DeLauter on the roster when the latter was placed on the injured list with a small rib fracture. Judging by his performance in Triple-A Columbus, it was a deserved outcome for him.
Watson embodies the spirit of the three true outcomes: he has a nice 14.6 percent walk rate in Triple-A, he struck out at a high 28 percent clip, and he hit 12 home runs, too. Of course, he is a complete player, stealing 15 bases for good measure. In his first MLB game, he also flashed the leather on a diving play in the outfield.
On Thursday, Watson received a start in the series finale in Milwaukee, a game that Cleveland won. His offensive performance wasn’t good, though, as he went 0-for-4 from the eighth spot, with two strikeouts.
It was rough, yes, but he hasn’t had a chance to get everyday at-bats, and that has disrupted his rhythm somewhat. That’s what he said to the press, at least.
“I haven’t had an at-bat since Sunday. I wasn’t stressing about anything. Whatever was going to come today was going to come,” Watson said. “First at-bat was just getting my feet wet. The next at-bat, I got a fastball right down the middle and put a good swing on it. It’s a steady process.”
Watson, a first-rounder in the 2021 MLB Draft whom the organization acquired before the 2024 campaign, is a flawed hitter, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have potential. He can help an MLB team, and his performance in Thursday’s game doesn’t define him.
Of course, he has a lot to prove just to stay on the Guardians’ active roster. He needs to play good defense, he needs to run, and he needs to get on base. We won’t know for sure if he can do those things against elite competition for a few weeks, at the very least.
What we do know at this juncture is that Watson has power and speed, defense, and is still 23 years old. The Marlins gave him a $4.5 million bonus when they drafted him for a reason.
Cleveland, an elite talent development organization, is certainly eager to see what they got in him.
NEXT: Former Guardians Pitcher Has Signed With Phillies
