Few teams in the major leagues have the Cleveland Guardians’ ability to identify and nurture talent. They spot potential stars and reliable contributors with late-round draft picks and amateur free-agent signings.
Ryan Cesarini, for example, was drafted in the 14th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. The outfielder wasn’t part of a big college program and didn’t get the attention of MLB squads in the early rounds, but there was something about him that made the Guardians choose him.
Cleveland has worked hard with him to optimize his tools and make him a legitimate prospect. In fact, analyst Thomas Nestico called Cesarini ‘the hottest prospect in baseball’.
“The Hottest Hitting Prospects in Baseball: Ryan Cesarini headlines the list after posting an outstanding 1.670 OPS over the last two weeks with 11 XBH, including 7 HR. The Guardians outfielder has been on fire since his promotion to AA and has all the tools to soar up the rankings,” Nestico said.
The Hottest Hitting Prospects in Baseball
Ryan Cesarini headlines the list after posting an outstanding 1.670 OPS over the last two weeks with 11 XBH, including 7 HR. The Guardians outfielder has been on fire since his promotion to AA and has all the tools to soar up rankings https://t.co/w88UJrrXpq pic.twitter.com/H50PczHaiS
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 17, 2026
Cesarini opened the season in High-A Lake County, where he hit seven homers and stole seven bases in 34 games. His 101 wRC+, however, wasn’t anything to write home about.
His performance in Double-A, however, has been nothing short of amazing. In 21 games and 90 plate appearances, he has hit .385/.449/.782 with eight round-trippers and six steals. His 216 wRC+ in Akron is indicative of how locked in he is at the moment.
Over the past week, in three games, Cesarini belted not one or two but six home runs. He is posting video game numbers in Double-A, and even though the sample is still very small, it’s big enough to catch the attention of prospect specialists around the country.
The Guardians’ offense needs all the help it can get, yet Cesarini is not really an option to contribute this year. He is 23, but has played just 21 games above High-A, and all of them have been for the RubberDucks. Cleveland will leave him to marinate in the upper minors for a while and, if he makes enough strides or proves himself in Triple-A for a few months, will probably call him up at some point in 2027.
NEXT: Tanner Bibee Believes Guardians Are Due For A Turnaround
