The Cleveland Guardians are not a solid offensive team.
Their strengths are evident in other parts of the roster, but not in the lineup.
Maybe it’s a lack of talent, or perhaps it’s because they are too patient with struggling hitters, but the Guardians are a well below-average squad offensively.
They could be better if they trusted their top young prospects, like Chase DeLauter and C.J. Kayfus, enough to bring them up to the big leagues.
But they remain minor leaguers as of Tuesday morning.
Ken Carman and Danny Cunningham had an interesting chat about the Guards’ reluctance to call up these two impactful future stars.
“You have to call the kids up when they’re ready… I don’t really know what makes them so nervous. Chase DeLauter has been ready to be a big leaguer for a while, and he’s still not up yet. I think he’s somebody that, when you look at the production from the Guardians’ right field (29th out of 30 teams), if DeLauter is an average hitter, that is twice the production they are getting from that spot,” Cunningham explained.
⚾"You have to call the kids up when they're ready… I don't really know what makes them so nervous."@KenCarman and @RealDCunningham discuss why the #Guardians have been reluctant to make moves and call up young talent.@KenCarmanShow LISTEN🔊:https://t.co/xUutNN8lzd pic.twitter.com/xQ4OQaQzRP
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) June 24, 2025
He believes that those are the things that could make the Guardians more competitive, and they’re not doing them.
Carman stated that “they are afraid to make that move for whatever reason. I know he gets injured all the time, but if he’s healthy, I don’t know why you don’t make that move.”
Carman then explained that some teams might get a bit hesitant to call up top prospects in the middle of a pennant race, to avoid putting too much pressure on them.
And he’s right, but it feels like the Guardians need them for survival.
The potential upside of calling them up trumps the risk involved.
Since they are unlikely to make many big-money moves at the deadline, bringing up their top prospects represents a way to stay competitive.
Both DeLauter and Kayfus are rocking an elite 145 wRC+ in Triple-A this year.
Yes, Kayfus can be a bit strikeout-prone, and yes, DeLauter is a big injury risk.
However, they have done enough to deserve a shot.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Explains Why Trade Acquisition Was A 'Steal'
