The Cleveland Guardians are currently dealing with a dilemma. Despite putting eight runs on the scoreboard on Tuesday, they have a highly inconsistent offense, yet they have top prospect Ralphy Velazquez mashing in Triple-A.
The 2023 first-round pick took a while to adjust to Triple-A pitching after posting an elite 162 wRC+ in Double-A Akron, but once he did, it has been amazing to watch. He is now slashing a robust .267/.353/.506 with 15 home runs and a 121 wRC+ in 64 games in Columbus.
Velazquez tied his career-high in homers in a minor league season with 22, between the two upper-minor levels, a mark he had established last year. He has hit 11 round-trippers in his last 16 games, and if you watched the Guardians play this year at any point, you know they need power. A lot of it.
Should they call up Velazquez, then? Well, the answer is not so easy and any decision might have 2027 implications, too. Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com explained why he doesn’t think the Guardians should promote their star prospect.
“Do you put all your chips into the middle of the table and bring [Ralphy] Velazquez up? I don’t know if I would do that,” Hoynes said. “If worse comes to worse and there is a lockout, and it extends into the regular season next year, I’d certainly want him getting at-bats somewhere.”
There is a lockout looming, and all parties agree that it’s likely to happen. As long as the league remains locked out, all players on the 40-man roster won’t be allowed to play minor league games or even participate in spring training.
Velazquez is currently not on the Guardians’ 40-man roster, which means that, if things stay the way they are right now, he could be able to play minor league games next season as scheduled if a lockout occurs. Calling him up now would eliminate that possibility in the event of MLB regular season games being lost.
Is Velazquez a surefire bet to help the Guardians if promoted? Common sense indicates he is, but past experiences, such as Juan Brito and Cooper Ingle, might suggest otherwise. Both were enjoying solid minor league campaigns before coming up and struggling in the majors this year.
Cleveland needs offense right now, yes, but if they have to choose, they will probably side with giving the player an optimal developmental path.
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