The Cleveland Guardians just can’t catch a break with their first basemen this year. Kyle Manzardo, who hit .215 with a 94 wRC+, was demoted when the team acquired Nathaniel Lowe in early August.
Lowe had a strong start to his Guardians’ tenure, but he is struggling badly at the moment and has become a liability. He is hitting .217 with a 67 wRC+ in Cleveland.
Rhys Hoskins, another member of the first base/designated hitter rotation, has a .179 batting average and boasts a below-average 94 wRC+. Each one of these players has had their moments, but they haven’t provided the team with a solution at the cold corner, offensively at least. The spot is a black hole in the lineup.
At the same time, the Guardians have one of the hottest prospects in baseball tearing up the International League, in Triple-A: it’s Ralphy Velazquez, and what he is doing at the plate is nothing short of amazing.
On Thursday, he was crowned the Player of the Month in the International League after hitting 15 home runs in August. That’s right, it’s not a typo.
“Ralphy Velazquez is Minor League Baseball’s International League Player of the Month! Velazquez slashed .356/.433/.867, and led all of professional baseball (Major Leagues AND Minor Leagues 🤯) with 15 home runs and was tied for the league lead with 34 RBI. He led the International League in slugging percentage (.867) and OPS (1.300) while his .356 batting average finished third. Velazquez also posted eight multi-hit games in August, including his first career three-homer game on August 23 against St. Paul,” Guards Insider wrote.
Ralphy Velazquez is @MiLB’s International League Player of the Month!
Velazquez slashed .356/.433/.867, and led all of professional baseball (Major Leagues AND Minor Leagues 🤯) with 15 home runs and was tied for the league lead with 34 RBI. He led the International League in… pic.twitter.com/b7IytTQRNU
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) September 3, 2026
If he’s so good offensively, why don’t the Guardians just call him up? Well, some think that it’s because they risk not being able to send him to the minors in the event of a lockout next year, as he would need to be added to the 40-man roster.
This week, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt explained that the reason behind their refusal to promote Velazquez has more to do with not being able to guarantee him everyday at-bats. With the way his projected competitors are playing, giving him the majority of playing time at the cold corner seems like a no-brainer.
In any case, the Guardians could be a much better team if they bring up their 2023 first-round pick. The evidence suggests that, and it’s very clear. At this point, there isn’t much upside in going with any of the three other options.
NEXT: Tanner Bibee Loses 15th Game As Guardians Drop Another Series
