The Cleveland Guardians have called up several position player prospects this year.
Some of them have had success, such as Jhonkensy Noel or Angel Martinez.
Others have struggled a bit, which is the case of Johnathan Rodriguez.
The outfielder had a short cameo in the bigs, posting a mediocre .486 OPS in 13 games between May and June.
Rodriguez, however, remains a quality prospect and has had a big season for Triple-A Columbus.
In fact, due to his incredible performance from September 9-15, he was named the Player of the Week in the International League.
“The @fireandiceac ‘Heating Up Performance of the Week’ goes to Johnathan Rodriguez for his work against the St. Paul Saints!!!”, the Clippers posted on X.
The @fireandiceac 'Heating Up Performance of the Week’ goes to Johnathan Rodriguez for his work against the St. Paul Saints!!!#ThisShipRocks⚓️ | #CameToPlay
🔥: https://t.co/SxyXNXZzLn pic.twitter.com/fUnhWubxi1— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) September 16, 2024
In the aforementioned timeframe, Rodriguez was outstanding and hit a fantastic .480 with four home runs and nine RBI.
He has certainly included himself in the Guardians plans if a need for an outfielder arises, as he dominated last week.
In 112 games and 481 plate appearances with the Clippers, Rodriguez is slashing a superb .302/.389/.547 with 28 home runs and 92 RBI.
He has posted a fantastic 141 wRC+, which basically means he has produced 41 percent more than the average player on his league.
That puts him near the top of the ranking and shows just how much offensive potential he has.
In order to deliver on that potential, he will have to cut the strikeouts some.
Maybe Rodriguez won’t be an All-Star, but there is a path towards an everyday role, with the Guardians or someone else, if he can make more consistent contact.
For now, he is quality organizational depth, waiting for another chance.
NEXT: Guardians' Magic Number Down To Three
