The Cleveland Guardians’ rotation depth was criticized before the deadline. They did improve it by adding left-hander Foster Griffin to their staff on August 3, but some would say they still need more arms because if injuries strike, they could be in trouble.
Well, they still have Logan Allen, and Slade Cecconi is making strides in his rehab assignment. Maybe the Guardians have some peace of mind on that front because they know they could potentially count on another name to cover some innings if needed.
Justin Campbell might not be your traditional starter, as he isn’t really built to cover six or seven innings per start yet, but he could offer the Guardians excellent performance in spurts of three or four innings. That’s how he has been deployed in the minors this year, and the results have been amazing.
The former 37th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft had a brilliant outing on Friday. He was scoreless for three innings and showed off his incredible strikeout potential.
“Another scoreless outing for Justin Campbell! 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K,” Guards Insider said about his performance with Columbus in Triple-A.
Another scoreless outing for Justin Campbell!
3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K💥 @CLBClippers pic.twitter.com/c1wQf3VcXE
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) August 29, 2026
Campbell has made 17 starts between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A this year, but since his outings range between two and five innings pitched, he has completed just 56.2 frames between the three levels.
He has posted an excellent 2.38 ERA over those 56.2 innings, and while his walks per nine are a bit elevated at 4.45, his 11.44 punchouts per nine more than make up for it.
Campbell, a 25-year-old right-hander, is ranked as the tenth-best Guardians prospect per MLB Pipeline. This is remarkable because injuries pushed his pro debut until this year. Yes, that’s right: he has undergone two major elbow surgeries and one on his wrist in the last three or four seasons.
Despite the endless health issues, he is in a good place now, sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball and touching 97 mph on occasion. Campbell generates plenty of extension, and that, combined with his 6’5” body, makes him very hard to hit. He also throws a solid changeup, a good curve, a slider, and a cutter.
Since he started the year in High-A, expecting Campbell to be in the majors at some point this season might not be realistic. However, it can’t be completely ruled out.
He could very well be Cleveland’s best-kept secret in the high minors, and when he’s up, whether it’s 2026 or 2027, he could offer excellent per-inning upside.
NEXT: 2 Guardians Players The Team Must Sign To Long-Term Extensions
