Cooper Ingle Reveals His Plan For His First Hit Ball

The Cleveland Guardians’ offense has been a disaster lately largely due to the absence of three indispensable hitters in Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez. The team needs offense wherever it can find it these days, which is why the front office dipped back into the prospect pool and called up catcher Cooper Ingle to make his debut earlier in the week.

Ingle put up massive numbers in the minors and was fully deserving of being called up. His arrival couldn’t have come at a better time. It didn’t take him long to make a big impact, as his two-run single on Saturday was not only his first MLB hit, but also the difference maker in a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

After the game, reporter Andre Knott caught up with Ingle and asked him about his first hit. Knott asked him what he’ll do with that precious ball, and Ingle revealed that he’ll be giving the ball to his father.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time if I ever got here and it’s for sure going to pops,” said Ingle.

Cooper Ingle checks in with @DreKnott after his first career knock helped the Guardians to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/U137U9Ni6v

— GuardsTV (@GuardsTV) June 28, 2026

Ingle reflected on all the times he played catch with his father as a kid and touched on how special it was for him to be watching his first MLB action, so it’s no surprise he’ll be giving his first hit to dad. You see players do this fairly often, and it never gets old.

The rookie posted a whopping .967 OPS in 51 games with Triple-A Columbus this season, so it’s a bit surprising it took as long as it did for the Guardians to find a spot for him. With how poorly the offensive production has been from Cleveland’s catchers this year, that position stands to see a major boost in production if that’s how manager Stephen Vogt wants to deploy his new weapon.

It remains to be seen how many innings Ingle will see behind the plate or if he’ll be used exclusively as a DH or outfielder. Whatever Vogt has to do, the rookie needs to be in the lineup because this group is struggling and he could be the sparkplug the Guardians need to get through this rough stretch.