Guardians Executive Says He’s ‘Really Excited’ About 2 Prospects

The Cleveland Guardians took a rather interesting approach to the 2025 MLB Draft.

Just like they claimed they would do, they often took the best player available, regardless of the positional need or the fit.

That was evident when they took Vanderbilt star first baseman Riley Nelson in the fifth round and then Anthony Martinez out to the University of California-Irvine three rounds later.

They play the same position, and they’re both 6-foot-3, 220-pound left-handed hitters who have thrived with contact but have drawn concerns due to their power – or lack thereof.

With that in mind, Guardians senior vice president of scouting Paul Gillispie claimed that both of them would be given an equal opportunity to do their thing, adding that the team didn’t hesitate to take both of them despite their similarities:

“Both of those guys [1B Riley Nelson and 1B Anthony Martinez] are going to have a real opportunity to come to the organization and thrive. We talked about, in baseball specifically, it’s OK to take multiple players at the same position, especially in rounds that are close to each other, because when you’re picking you don’t know who is going to be there. We are really excited about their ability to control the strike zone and make quality contact,” Gillispie said.

It’s unusual to have a first baseman who doesn’t rake the baseball, let alone two.

Even so, both have shown impressive contact skills, and you never know how a player will pan out.

The MLB Draft is all about projections, but at the end of the day, plenty of things can make or break a player’s career.

You can never have too much talent at any position, especially if you’re a small-market team that usually needs the farm system to develop young stars to stay competitive.

So, while some might feel like the Guardians wasted one of their picks, they’re just doubling down on their chances of finding their guy for the future.