Perhaps now more than in any recent season, the Cleveland Guardians are showing the great benefit they have in developing homegrown talent. A key component of that is how they approach the annual MLB Draft.
This year, former first-round picks Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have shown that they will be fixtures in the Guardians’ lineup for a long time. Fellow first-round pick Gavin Williams has established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in the American League.
That is why, with the 2026 MLB Draft approaching in July, fans are eager to learn about who the Guardians might add next. It’s a way for them to get an idea about the potential future stars of tomorrow.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft, The Guardians are projected to land intriguing infielder Ace Reese, with Cleveland selecting the Mississippi State third baseman at No. 19 overall.
“Cleveland has been leaning into power as a bigger part of their decision-making, and scouts I polled agree that Reese is a better prospect than some similar types (fringy third baseman, good feel for in-game power and patience) in recent drafts, like Andrew Fischer and Brock Wilken,” Kiley McDaniel wrote.
After transferring from Houston, Reese has hit a combined 41 home runs over the past two seasons at Mississippi State, including 20 in 58 games this year. He has a .330 batting average and a 1.115 OPS, which are actually down from the 2025 season, when he hit .352 with a 1.140 OPS.
In 163 college games, he has 200 hits and 158 runs scored. His career slash line is .325/.417/.651.
It might be thought that after Jose Ramirez signed a seven-year contract extension this offseason, which will likely keep him with Cleveland for the rest of his career, the Guardians would not need to draft a third baseman. However, this would allow them to be more flexible with Ramirez as he gets older, perhaps lessening his burden with time at DH, while also adding another talented hitter to their already impressive pipeline that includes 2025 first-round pick Jace LaViolette.
In previous mock drafts by other outlets, the Guardians have been linked to Arizona State pitcher Cole Carton and Virginia outfielder A.J. Gracia, so they do have options at multiple positions for this year’s first-round choice.
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