The Cleveland Guardians managed to bring in multiple impactful pieces before the deadline without trading a top-10 or even a top-15 prospect. In fact, catcher Jacob Cozart, shipped to LA in the Jo Adell acquisition, was the only top-30 prospect flipped before August 3.
The Guardians, therefore, kept most of their best guys. Infielder Angel Genao, who is already in the majors but retains prospect status, is the top guy in the system right now, with first baseman Ralphy Velazquez and pitcher Braylon Doughty following him.
MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo, and Jim Callis tried to determine each team’s best prospect in 2028, and since trades and graduations are always part of the equation, it’s definitely a challenging exercise.
In the specific case of the Guardians, none of the three prospects already mentioned are expected to top the system two years from now. In fact, all of them will likely be part of Cleveland’s MLB team if they haven’t been used in trades.
Juneiker Caceres, currently fourth in the Guardians’ farm, is the name chosen by the experts to be the best in the system in 2028.
“While Caceres’ $300,000 bonus ranked just eighth in the Guardians’ 2024 international class, he has proven to be the best prospect from that crop. The Venezuelan has a knack for barreling balls and hits them harder than most teenagers. He missed time with an oblique injury this season but hit .301/.409/.484 with 11 homers in 74 games between two Class A levels,” Dykstra, Callis, and Mayo wrote.
Caceres has definitely found High-A more challenging than Single-A: he has a .256/.390/.354 line and a 105 wRC+ in 100 plate appearances in the former, as opposed to a much better .320/.418/.538 (153 wRC+) in 237 trips to the plate in the latter. He has been competent in both levels, though.
Caceres is fast and athletic, but don’t be fooled by his small build: he can hit the ball harder than you think. His short and compact swing also helps him avoid strikeouts, as he has fanned in just 13.6 percent of his plate appearances between the two levels.
Caceres is likely to be the top prospect in Cleveland two years from now because he seems to be developing at a rapid pace, and he has the natural skills to be a star someday. Additionally, he is not particularly close to the majors, which is the case with Genao (who is already a major leaguer), Velazquez, and Doughty.
Remember the name. Starting in 2028, he could make a lot of noise in Cleveland.
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