Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 8/14/25
Genao keeps hitting, Cacares celebrates 18th birthday with big night

Highlights:
Jhonkensy Noel (1B, Columbus): 2-2, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SB - Noel’s perfect night at the plate on Thursday was an unusual one from a guy normally known for his prodigious power. The pair of walks are especially notable as they were his first free passes since being walked twice by the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) at Huntington Park on July 25. That said, it wasn’t as if he didn’t hit the ball hard last night as his fourth-inning hit left the bat at 102.4 MPH (His second hit three frames later was a tad slower at 67.5 MPH.).

Angel Genao (SS, Akron): 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 K - Genao continued a stellar week in Reading, Pa. with this three-run performance that saw him involved in nearly half of the RubberDuck runs in last night’s slugfest victory. In three games played this series, Angel is 6-for-14 with a double, triple, and three RBI - a welcome change of pace from the 1-for-15 that marked his last four games of the previous homestand.

Jonah Advincula (1B, Akron): 3-5, 2 R, 1 K, 3 SB - While Advincula has struggled at the Double-A level (this effort got him back over the Mendoza Line), a three-hit, three steal performance gives hope that he is starting to adjust to the level, especially since he is slashing .254/.325/.310 since the end of the six-game hot drought that marked the start of his time with the Mallards of Main Street.

Joe Lampe (RF, Akron): 2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 Outfield Assist - Lampe’s hot streak, which is now well into its second week, was taken to a new level last night with Joe’s first homer of the month - a game-tying solo shot to center in the sixth. Getting back to Lampe’s recent success, he is slashing .321/.412/.571 with four RBI across this and last week’s series.

Jacob Cozart (starting C, Akron): 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 HBP - Cozart’s pair of RBI hits included a ninth-inning double that tied the game at eight runs apiece - after which he was pulled for pinch runner Jake Fox, triggering a series of defensive shifts in the bottom of the frame that would’ve left the Ducks without a DH had the game gone to extras. Fun Fact: Jacob’s fourth-inning single tied the game…at two. The Win Probability Chart for thai game looks like something Sarah Langs would tweet with a caption involving multiple “Whee”s.

Jeffrey Mercedes (2B, Lake County): 3-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Mercedes quickly put his hitless High-A debut on Tuesday behind him by reaching in all four plate appearances last night, including on his first three hits as a Captain.

Jose Devers (DH, Lake County): 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB - Devers’ RBI singles opened and closed the scoring for the Eastlake nine and gave Devers his third multi-base game in his last four.

Caden Favors (SP, Lake County): W (6-8), 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R (earned), 2 BB, 8 K - Favors went 5+ innings for his fourth straight start, a period during which he has allowed only two earned runs on 13 hits and five walks while striking out 21 in 22 combined innings. I think it’s fair to say that things are starting to click for Caden in High-A.

Juneiker Caceres (CF, Lynchburg): 3-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI - Caceres’ three-hit Thursday included the Hillcats’ only extra-base hit of the game and continued his incredible start in non-complex ball (.378/.429/.622 in twelve games) and an even better recent run of form (.588 SLG and 1.062 OPS over the course of an active four-game multi-base streak).

Will McCausland (RP, Lynchburg): 2 IP, 5 K - McCausland struck out all but one of the batters he faced in a dominant professional debut. Yes, it’s the ultimate small sample size, but what a first impression!

Sebastian Cadiz (C, DSL Mendoza): 2-for-3, R, 3B, 2 RBIs - Each of Cadiz’s two hits resulted in runs for the DSL Mendoza squad. His day was highlighted by an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth to draw even at 6-6 before the contest was called. Cadiz has seven RBIs in the last eight games and is back above .300 for the season with a .301 batting average in 25 games this year.

Notable Performances:
Kody Huff (C, Columbus): 1-3, 1 2B,1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Huff’s seventh-inning double drove in Noel for the Clip Show's lone run of the game and Kody’s 35th RBI of the season.

Tommy Mace (RP, Columbus): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K - It was a whole new world for Mace in Thursday night’s seventh inning. He was not only making his Triple-A debut, but also his first professional appearance as a true reliever (not a bulk guy or back end of a piggyback). He seemed unfazed.

Kyle Dernedde (2B, Akron): 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K - Dernedde’s multi-hit performance was his first in nearly two months (June 19 as a Captain) and nearly three months in Double-A (May 17).

Tyresse Turner (3B, Akron): 1-5, 1 RBI, 2 K - Turner has reached safely in seven of his last eight games after hitting a go-ahead, and ultimately game-winning, single in the top of the ninth.

Ryan Cesarini (LF, Lake County): 1-3, 1 R, 1 HBP, 1 SB - Cesarini continued his stellar start at High-A (.346/.469/.577 in seven games) by reaching twice and stealing a base on Thursday night.

Bennett Thompson (C, Lake County): 1-3, 1 BB - Thompson is also off to an impressive start to his High-A career, reaching four times in his first nine plate appearances at the level, including three hits.

Maick Collado (1B, Lake County): 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI - Collado’s team-leading on-base streak rigged 15 games in this two-RBI effort.

Xavier Martinez (RP, Lake County): S (1), 2.2 IP, perfect , 5 K - Martinez struck out the last five Chiefs (Cardinals) batters in order to pick up his first High-A save and remain unscored upon in 7.1 combined innings at the level (four outings).

Cannon Peebles (C, Lynchburg): 2-4, 1 K, 2 PB - An impressive pro debut at the plate for Peebles, not so much behind it.

Luke Hill (3B, Lynchburg): 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 SF, 1 SB - Hill’s first pro RBI was a big one as it came on a walk-off sac fly.

Jacob Zibin (SP, Lynchburg): ND, 4 IP, 2 HBP, 2 K - Despite a couple of wayward pitches, Zibin was impressive in his second four-inning professional outing.

Carlos Garces (CF, DSL Mendoza): 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs - Garces matches Cadiz’s total with seven RBIs in the last eight games after his double in the fifth plated two and capped off a five-run inning.

Ricardo Romero (DH, DSL Goryl): 2-for-2, BB - Romero leads the DSL Goryl team with a .305 batting average and recorded a pair of singles and drew a walk in Thursday’s loss. Romero was the only man in the lineup to record a hit in the rain-shortened loss. He extends his on-base streak to seven games with the help of eight walks in that time.

Josh Perez (SP, DSL Goryl): 5.0 IP, 5 H, R, 0 BBs, K, HBP, WP - Perez allowed a variety of traffic early, but settled down late and limited the damage to just a single run off a solo shot in the third. It is his second consecutive game pitched where he went five innings and allowed just one run.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 8/15/25
Ralphy Velazquez adjusting to Double-A quite well, [major understatement] John Means makes first rehab appearance, Braylon Doughty is on a roll in Lynchburg

Ralphy Velazquez (1B, Akron): 3-4, HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB - No tough transition for Velazquez at Double-A so far. He’s been on fire since he got there. Now, he’s hitting in Reading this week for his debut, which is a well known hitters park. But he’s still hammering the ball regardless and homered off lefties. As a 20 year old, he’s really turned a corner and it’s exciting to see. I’m very high on the things we’ve seen from Ralphy over the last 6 weeks.

Braylon Doughty (SP, Lynchburg): 4IP, 4H, 5K - Doughty looks a lot like a pitcher who has figured it out. He’s made three August starts and has 19 strikeouts and NO walks in 13 2/3 innings pitched. He’s also allowed just a single earned run. He deserves a shot to pitch in High-A this year, however, its getting late in the year and Lynchburg is playoff bound so I would think that’s where he finishes the year.

Nick Mitchell (CF, Lake County): 2-4, HR, 2 SB, BB - Huge game for Mitchell, who is also now part of Cleveland’s 2024 draft class after his trade from Toronto for Gimenez. There’s little power here and this was his first homer, but the steals and walks are nice to see and you want him to play center field to increase his value since he’s not going to have much in the way of power.

Jaison Chourio (DH, Lake County): 2-3, RBI, 2BB, SB - We’re starting to see some signs of life from Chourio lately after a rough year between his passivity and shoulder issue. There's a little more offensive coming in and not just walks from passivity. At least that will keep it from being a lost year for him, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he has a chance to be in the AFL. [He actually has hit two doubles this month, which is a season high]

Ryan Cesarini (LF, Lake County): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 SB - Cesarini is also starting to pick things up a little more, which I expected from him earlier this year. He has some ability to be decent at the plate and an all around contributor but he got off to a bad start in Lynchburg, so it’s nice to see him come around a little since his promotion.

Austin Peterson (SP, Columbus): 5.2IP, 9H, 5ER, BB, 5K - Peterson was dominant early and then it fell apart quickly. He gave up quite a bit of hard contact. That tends to be Peterson’s biggest issue. He doesn’t have overly dominant stuff and he’s in the zone a lot. That has its ups and downs. He’s still an interesting arm but he probably will always give up a lot of hard contact due to lack of big stuff and being a strike thrower. Still reminds of Josh Tomlin in a lot of ways.

Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 0-2, 3BB, K - Bazzana swung at less than 10 pitches in five plate appearances and had two of them where he didn’t swing the bat once that resulted in walks. He looked a little late on some fastballs and did chase a few breaking balls. I think we are seeing some of the same issues again with Bazzana as we did early in the year in Akron and even his start in Lake County. He takes a ton of pitches, looking for the perfect one. Sometimes I think his decision making leads him to be a little late when he gets a fastball, so that’s why he’s just missing. As he adjusts to the level, pitching, new sightlines and all that, I expect he’ll find his level the way he did in Akron, but overall you do need this swing rate to make him a little better. [Not sure what improvement at Akron but made during his stay there. Overall this not been a very impressive first season for No. 1-1 pick especially considering what some his fellow top of 1st rounders have done]

Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 3-5, RBI - Knapczyk has also been off to a good start in Akron, with obvious less power. He did have that nice surge to start May in Lake County and didn’t really keep it up but he’s been better offensively overall than I think he ever would be. We’ll see if that keeps up. I think he’s similar to Cairo in a lot of ways but he’s interesting for now.

Wuilfredo Antunez (RF, Akron): 2-4, 2B, SB - His wrist injury on the IL was short lived, which is good. I continue to find Antunez interesting as well with a blend of pop and speed for a smaller corner bat.

Magnus Ellerts (RP, Akron): 2IP, 2K - It’s been a tough year for Ellerts in terms of control. He’s missed bats, but I was much bigger on him coming into the year. I think the stuff has looked good overall but the lack of control has really held him back this year from taking the next step as a relief prospect.

Aaron Walton (CF, Lynchburg): 2-4, 2K - Walton has hit pretty well in his initial debut in pro ball.

Considering the overall lackluster 2025 by most of our top prospects, other than Kayfus and Ingle, it's great seeing Velazquez hitting and Doughty pitching like you hope from No. 1 picks. Doughty is especially exciting for a teenager to develop a great command of the strike zone.

Guardians On The Rise
Admittedly, this is only the second installment of these bridge reports, but for the first time, we’re spotlighting a non-drafted player.

Dauri Fernandez emerged as one of the most impressive bats in the Arizona Complex League, wrapping up the season with a strong .310/.383/.480 slash line, six home runs and 27 RBIs. He’s aggressive early in counts, but with the consistent production he’s shown, it’s hard to question the approach.

The Guardians opted to keep the 18-year-old at the complex rather than assign him to an affiliate—a move that speaks more to long-term development than readiness. Signed for $215,000 in 2024, Fernandez has already proven to be a versatile defender capable of handling multiple infield positions. A switch-hitter with advanced discipline, he’s shown a knack for making consistent contact while keeping his strikeout numbers in check.

That well-rounded game was on display during the Guardians’ matchup against the Brewers on Tuesday. Fernandez drove an opposite-field single on a pitch up and away, showing advanced barrel control. Later in the inning, he showcased his instincts on the base paths by taking an extra base on a bloop single. It was an aggressive, yet calculated move that drew praise from a scout in the bleachers: “Wow, now that’s some really good baseball instincts for a young guy.”

Most of the Guardians’ high-end draft picks were sent to Low-A Lynchburg, but a few remain. That includes second-round pick Dean Curley (Tennessee) and eighth-round selection Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine).

Curley spent the majority of his collegiate career at shortstop but has played a bit of third base down in Arizona. He offers a well-rounded offensive profile with a disciplined approach, solid contact skills and above-average raw power.

Despite having a plus arm, Curley struggled with throwing accuracy down the stretch this past season with Tennessee. Playing more third base should allow his arm to shine.

Martinez is a power bat who is the RBI career leader at UC Irvine. The raw power is evident in his swing and imposing 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame. With the right adjustments at the pro level, he has plenty of potential to be a strong power bat in the middle of the lineup.

Martinez was also featured in a story at the beginning of the year, in which he talks about embracing his culture and paving the way for other Latino college baseball players. You can read that here.

Article
Minors
Top 25 Arizona Complex League Prospects For 2025

13. Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, Guardians
As usual, the Guardians are flush with intriguing infield prospects. Rodriguez is at the head of that mix in the complex. His sample has been limited by injury to just 20 games, but the results point toward the kind of player Cleveland covets.

Rodriguez is a lithe, athletic defender with range to both sides, an arm that grades as at least average and plenty of remaining projection. His swing is loose and whippy with a decent amount of bat speed, though his profile is clearly hit over power. He projects as a player who makes contact at the bottom of an order and provides a fair amount of value with his glove.

15. Dauri Fernandez, SS, Guardians
Fernandez first caught the eyes of evaluators during spring training and has continued to do so over the course of a scorching summer. He’s an aggressive swinger at the plate whose early-count contact has led to a very low strikeout rate. He also shows excellent hand-eye coordination and the ability to move the barrel throughout the strike zone.

Defensively, Fernandez has shuffled among shortstop, second base and third base in the ACL, but scouts believe he has enough ability to play shortstop on a regular basis if it weren’t for the presence of Gabriel Rodriguez on the same roster. Fernandez’s arm is more than strong enough for the left side of the infield and is graded by some as the best in the league.

He’s a longer term play, but he might one day fit nicely into Cleveland’s infield factory.

16. Juneiker Caceres, OF, Guardians
As one of the youngest players in the DSL last summer, Caceres thrived. This year, it’s been more of the same, albeit in a smaller sample. Caceres, who will complete the ACL season as a 17-year-old, is one of the safer hitters on the complex, showing a balanced enough blend of offensive skills to project 50 grades on the 20-80 scouting scale for both hittability and power. He does a fine job working counts and staying within the strike zone and has shown flashes of thump to the pull side.

His ultimate defensive home is a question mark, but he’s spent most of his time in Arizona manning right field. No matter where he lands, most of his value will be tied to his bat.

season total for our top 4 prospects, Bazzana, Genao, Chourio, DeLauter

857 AB
150 R
212 H
100 RBI
42 2B
7 3B
17 HR
158 BB
213 K
25 SB
9 CS

AVG 247
OBP 364
SLG 370
OPS 734

By comparison, another No. 1 pick in 2024 JJ Weatherholt, another IF, has 15 homers; And of course there's Nick Kurtz also from the 2024 draft class who homered 8 times in the minors and has added 24 for the As.
On the other hand, another contender for 1st in the draft, super college slugger Charlie Condon has 6 homers

Another big game for Ralphy Velazquez, single, double and homer lifting his 4 game AA stat line to

17-6-9-6
2 singles
3 doubles
1 triple
3 homeruns
3 walks
2 strikeouts
529/600/1353 OPS 1953

I'm guessing he slows down a bit but this continues a really solid July and August in Lake County
At age 20 and 2 months he's one of the youngest players in AA

Ralphy is another left handed hitting 1st baseman, joining Manzardo and Santana.
More prospects, more lefties: DeLauter and Ingle and Bazzana
And so is this year's first round pick Jace LaViolette. And 17 year old breakout OF Juneiker Caceres
Angel Genao is a switch hitter. And Juan Brito. So is Jaison Chourio, although he doesn't matter unless he re-learns how to hi.
As is Rocchio
And Arias actually is RH!

After drawing two more walks, Bazzana came up with a 2 run single in his last at bat of the day in a Columbus loss. Ends his first week in AAA hitting 214 and an 899 OPS. Cooper Ingle also singled once and walked once, and his week totals are 300/863.

I wish Jaison Chourio did something other than walk; he drew one free pass in five otherwise fruitless at bats.
Two of his Lake County teammates who have more interesting offensive profiles but don't make prospect lists:
Jose Devers with his 33rd double, leads the league by more than half dozen. He also has a dozen homers. And a dozen walks. But his average is only 233 and OPS 697 with nearly 5 strikeouts for every walk.
Juan Benjamin with two singles and two RBI; hitting 278, 763 OPS. Only 3 homers. 16 steals in 19 tries. K/BB not bad 55/31.

Another top 10 prospect having a less than stellar season, W Francisca with a perfect day at the plate today, a single and 3 walks. Has only 3 homers. But he's stolen 45 bases, caught a dozen times.

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 8/17/25
The Ralphy Velazquez Tornado devastates Reading pitching again

Scoreboard
Toledo Mud Hens 7, Columbus Clippers 5
Akron RubberDucks 19, Reading Fightin Phils 10
Peoria Chiefs 7, Lake County Captains 5 (F/10)
Lynchburg Hillcats 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

Highlights: Big day for outfielders

Ralphy Velazquez (LF, Akron): 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB - The scorching month of August continued on Sunday for Velazquez with his 21st homerun of the year and fourth in just five Double-A contests. Nine of his 12 hits since joining the Akron roster have been extra-base hits with four doubles, one triple and four homeruns. The 20-year-old was also a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

Wuilfredo Antunez (DH, Akron): 4-for-6, R, 3B, HR, 5 RBIs, SB - Antunez led the charge for a potent RubberDucks offense that set a new season-high for runs with 19 on the night. The 23-year-old put together his season-high in hits with four and RBIs with five and he was just a double away from hitting for the cycle. After a five-run first for Reading, Antunez responded with a three-run homerun in the second that kick started the offense. He is now 7-for-14 since his brief injured list stint.

Johnathan Rodriguez (LF, Columbus): 2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBIs - A two-run homerun off the bat of Rodriguez helped spark a rally in the series finale, but the deficit was too much to overcome despite four runs in the final two innings. The 25-year-old ended his series in Toledo with three multi-hit games and he hit two homeruns this week.

Petey Halpin (CF, Columbus): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B - Halpin recorded his first multi-hit game in nearly a month when he went 3-for-5 and scored twice in Sunday’s loss. Halpin is batting just .200 in the month of August, but five of his nine base hits have gone for extra bases with three doubles and

Alfonsin Rosario (CF, Akron): 3-for-5, 4 R, 3 RBIs, BB, SB - Four runs scored in a single game is a new career-high for Rosario and he drove in three runs himself. He has 53 total RBIs for the season and five in the last two games played. The last two games also marked his first multi-hit performances with Akron. two homeruns. The former third round selection also did not strikeout in the game after he had been sat down on strikes in each of the last seven contests.

And others:
Jacob Cozart (C, Akron): 4-for-6, 3 R, 2B, RBI - Cozart is having a great start to his Double-A career as well with his first four-hit game where he came around to score three times in the lopsided win. In five games with Akron, the 22-year-old is 8-for-21 (.381 batting average) with a .916 OPS with six RBIs. He has driven in runs in four of those five games as he continues to show consistency with runners in scoring position game-after-game.

Jake Fox (RF-CF, Akron): 3-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBIs - Fox wasn’t even a starter in this game and ended up batting three times and extending his hit streak to six in a row where he has made an at-bat. Three runs batted in ties his season-high mark and he did it in just five innings.

Garrett Howe (2B, Lake County): 3-for-4, RBI, SB - The Samford University alum put together his first multi-hit game for the Captains on Sunday with a 3-for-4 effort. Howe drove in a run with his single to center field in the bottom of the second and added more hits in the sixth and ninth innings. Howe has a three-hit games in each of the last two series he played between Lynchburg and Lake County.

Juan Benjamin (3B-LF, Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2 RBIs, SB - Benjamin’s single in the fifth scored a pair of runs and extended Lake County’s lead to 5-2 at the time. Benjamin also displayed defensive prowess with time on the infield and in the outfield in the game following a defensive replacement. The 22-year-old has hits in six of his last seven games and is batting .318 in the month of August (14-for-44).

Jake Fox (RF-CF, Akron): 3-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBIs - Fox wasn’t even a starter in this game and ended up batting three times and extending his hit streak to six in a row where he has made an at-bat. Three runs batted in ties his season-high mark and he did it in just five innings.

Garrett Howe (2B, Lake County): 3-for-4, RBI, SB - The Samford University alum put together his first multi-hit game for the Captains on Sunday with a 3-for-4 effort. Howe drove in a run with his single to center field in the bottom of the second and added more hits in the sixth and ninth innings. Howe has a three-hit games in each of the last two series he played between Lynchburg and Lake County.

Juan Benjamin (3B-LF, Lake County): 2-for-5, R, 2 RBIs, SB - Benjamin’s single in the fifth scored a pair of runs and extended Lake County’s lead to 5-2 at the time. Benjamin also displayed defensive prowess with time on the infield and in the outfield in the game following a defensive replacement. The 22-year-old has hits in six of his last seven games and is batting .318 in the month of August (14-for-44).

Welbyn Francisca (SS, Lynchburg): 1-for-1, R, 3 BBs, 2 SBs - Francisca reached base in all four of his plate appearances with a base hit and three walks. The wheels of the 19-year-old were on display once again with his 44th and 45th stolen bases of the year. Francisca has struggled across the ten games played in the month of August, but once he reaches base he can usually get into scoring position himself with his legs.

Travis Bazzana (2B, Columbus): 1-for-3, R, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs - For the third consecutive game, Bazzana has reached base three times with the help of seven walks. His single in the ninth drove in a pair of runs and brought the Clippers to within two for his only hit of the day. [giving all those cited above opportunities for RBIs]

Alex Mooney (3B, Akron): 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBIs, SF, HBP, E5F - Mooney had four productive at-bats with a sacrifice fly and hit by pitch that scored runs as well as two hits in the game. The Duke product has 11 total bases and four RBIs in his last two games played.

Christian Knapczyk (2B, Akron): 2-for-6, R, 2 RBIs, BB, DP - In five games with the Double-A club, Knapczyk has three multi-hit games and six RBIs.

Angel Genao (SS, Akron): 2-for-6, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, DP, GIDP - The 21-year-old now has a hit in each of his last five games after his day was highlighted by an RBI double on Sunday.

Bennett Thompson (C, Lake County): 2-for-5, RBI - Thompson now has at least one hit in each of his first four games at High-A after two singles in Sunday’s loss.

Yerlin Luis (LF, Lynchburg): 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 SBs - Luis was the hero with his eighth-inning RBI double to give the Hillcats the lead 5-4 heading into the final inning. He reached base twice and took an extra bag on each occasion.

Luis Merejo (1B, Lynchburg): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI - Merejo has now reached base safely in 11 straight games with an RBI double that tied the game up in the sixth.

an;d a few notable performances by pitchers:

Triston McKenzie (RP, Columbus): 1.0 IP, 0 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BBs, 0 Ks, WP - McKenzie struggled with command and an error plated a run in his inning of work in this his first appearance in Triple-A this season.

Will Dion (RP, Columbus): 4.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 5 Ks, WP - The 25-year-old served a much-needed long relief role in a game that started as a bullpen affair. Dion tossed the final four innings and struck out five batters to give him 17 over his last three appearances (13.2 innings).

Rafe Schlesinger (SP, Lake County): 4.0 IP, 7 H, R, BB, 3 Ks - The starter Schlesinger got beat up a little bit with seven hits but limited the damage to a single run after he left six runners stranded.

Josh Harlow (RP, Lake County): H (3), 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 Ks - Harlow entered the game with the bases loaded and got out of the fifth with a flyout. He went on to toss a scoreless sixth as well.

Luke Fernandez (RP, Lynchburg): 2.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks, WP - The 21-year-old 2025 16th round selection made his second consecutive scoreless appearance.

Ralphy the Hottest of the Hot



Baseball America’s Hot Sheet ranks the 20 hottest prospects from the previous week. This week’s installment considers how minor league players performed through Aug 17. The Hot Sheet simply recognizes how the hottest prospects in the minors did in the past week—it’s not a re-ranking of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects.

1. Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Guardians

Team: Double-A Akron (Eastern)
Age: 20
Why He’s Here: .545/.615/1.364 (12-for-22), 9 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 7 RBIs, 4 BB, 3 SO

The Scoop: The rise of Velazquez shows no signs of slowing down for the Guardians’ first baseman, even in his promotion to Double-A Akron. After stumbling out of the gate with an abysmal start, he’s charging into the dog days of summer with a wave of momentum and growing confidence at the plate. Nine of his recent hits have gone for extra bases, including four long balls that showcased the raw power scouts raved about in his draft profile. While swing-and-miss concerns loomed early in the season, Velazquez has tightened his approach and found a rhythm. His improved timing and discipline are turning potential into production—and the results are flying off the bat.

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Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 8/18-19/25
Wuilfredo Antunez powers up in Akron, Juneiker Cacares keeps hitting, Logun Clark has career night in Lynchburg

Logun Clark (C, Lynchburg): 3-4, 3 RBI, 1 HBP - Clark was the star of a relatively quiet night in the Guardians farm system with his second three-hit night and second three-RBI night of the season (first time in his pro career putting the two together).

Jhonkensy Noel (1B, Columbus): 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB - Noel led the way for the Clipper offense on a rain-delayed Tuesday night with a pair of absolutely blistered base hits (a 107.7 MPH RBI double in the fourth and a 107.4 MPH single in the ninth). [Any good reason not to bring BigXMas back instead of Jones? At least he's a right handed hitter]

Dom Nunez (C, Columbus): 2-4, 2 RBI - Nunez’s pair of RBI singles saw him equal his RBI output from his last seven games in three innings.

Tommy Mace (RP, Columbus): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K - Mace remains unscored upon in 3.1 Triple-A innings after his second outing at the level.

Wuilfredo Antunez (RF, Akron): 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 E - While Antunez didn’t match his five-RBI series finale in Reading, Pa., he did drive in the RubberDucks’ only run of the game on a fifth-inning solo shot to tight that gave him his tenth RBI of a now five-game active RBI streak.

Alaska Abney (RP, Akron): 1.2 IP, 1 K - Abney continues to dominate in an injury-abbreviated season, allowing only one earned run in 14.1 innings this season, including 9.2 for the RubberDucks (The other 4.2 frames came on a season-opening rehab assignment with the A-Guards.).

Juneiker Caceres (LF, Lynchburg): 2-6, 1 R, 1 SB - Caceres’ two-hit performance saw him reach safely for the 14th game out of 15 non-complex contests in which he has a plate appearance.

Riley Nelson (DH, Lynchburg): 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K - Nelson, who has a .945 OPS across his first four professional games, opened his RBI account on a first-inning single, the first of two hits in his second multi-hit game as a Hillcat.

Luis Merejo (1B, Lynchburg): 1-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 K, 1 E - This game was a microcosm of Merejo’s season, which has seen him drive in 49 runs despite slashing .184/.306/.341.

Angel Perez (RP, Lynchburg): 2 IP, 1 BB, 1 K - Perez has allowed only one run of any kind in 10.2 non-complex innings and is unscored upon in 6.2 combined frames across his last four outings.

from BA: 10 Top 100 Prospects Who Coaches, Scouts Loved In 2025

Only CLE reference is to a prospect of the past:
"Barring a massive slump to end the season, Konnor Griffin [Pirates kid in Low A] will be the rare teenager to finish a year with a .300 average and at least 15 home runs and 50 stolen bases. A 19-year-old outfielder named Bill Flowers hit .315 with 18 homers and 57 steals for Reno of the California League in 1971. He was a Cleveland second-round pick the year before but never reached the majors.

2025 MiLB Best Tools: Managers Vote On The Top Prospects an annual BA feature

For each league they award:
Best Batting Prospect
Best Power Prospect
Best Strike-Zone Judgment Eastern League winner: Cooper Ingle
Best Baserunner Low A Carolina League winner: Tommy Hawke [promoted mideason to Lake County and immediately got hurt and hasn't been seen since]
Fastest Baserunner
Best Pitching Prospect
Best Fastball
Best Breaking Ball
Best Control
Best Reliever
Best Defensive Catcher; 1st baseman; 2nd baseman; shortstop; third baseman; best IF arm
Best Defensive OF: International League: Petey Halpin
Best OF Arm: High-A (Midwest): Alfonsin Rosario, Lake County (Guardians)
Most Exciting Player:
Best Manager Prospect: