Here are the Guardians' first-half Minor League MVPs

This story was excerpted from Mandy Bell’s Guardians Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEVELAND -- The midway point of a season often is time for reflection.

It’s clear who the Guardians' key players have been. Whether you say Steven Kwan, José Ramírez, Josh Naylor, David Fry, Tanner Bibee or just the bullpen as a whole, you could make a convincing argument as to why that player was the team's MVP of the first half.

But this isn’t just about the Major League players. It’s time to recognize the Minor Leaguers, too. There are several names that jump out as clear contenders for Cleveland's top-performing prospect in the first half of the season. But let’s focus on C.J. Kayfus, who is the Guardians' No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and is playing at Double-A Akron.

It’s really hard to top what Kayfus has done this season. The 22-year-old lefty-hitting first baseman was drafted just one year ago, in the third round out of the University of Miami, but he’s already playing like a seasoned professional.

Kayfus leads all Guardians Minor Leaguers in Single-A and higher in average (.339), RBIs (63), on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.610) and OPS (1.054). He's second in extra-base hits (34) behind No. 25 prospect Jhonkensy Noel (35), who is now in the Majors.

Kayfus went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored on Tuesday night.

It was encouraging to see Kayfus hit .338 with seven homers and a 1.015 OPS in 40 games with High-A Lake County to start the season. But what has been most impressive is that his production has not fallen off since he was promoted to Double-A Akron on June 3. He has hit .341 with six homers and a 1.126 OPS in 23 games with the RubberDucks.

MLB Pipeline projects Kayfus will reach the big leagues in 2026. If he stays on that pace, Cleveland has some time to sort out its first-base situation before Kayfus joins the mix. But with Guardians' No. 2 prospect Kyle Manzardo, who's playing at Triple-A Columbus, just ahead of him, it certainly raises questions of who will end up where.

After the Guardians drafted Kayfus, they noted that he had outfield experience, and he’s played 16 games there in his professional career. So maybe as he gets closer to his debut -- especially if he keeps hitting like he is now and speeds up his timeline -- Kayfus could see more action in the outfield.

But for now, he can continue to put on a show for RubberDucks fans, allowing everyone to wonder if they’re watching real life or a video game.

Here’s a look at the other top players in the first half at each level for the Guardians.

Triple-A Columbus: Kyle Manzardo
This kind of feels like cheating because Manzardo hasn’t played as many games in Triple-A as some of his teammates due to his 30-game stint in the Majors this year. But it’s impossible to ignore the numbers he’s put up with Columbus this season. In 40 games, he has hit .297 with a 1.035 OPS, 11 doubles, 13 homers and 30 RBIs.

High-A Lake County: INF Angel Genao, Guardians’ No. 11 prospect
Genao is another contender for the Guardians' top-performing prospect of the first half. His .328 batting average is second to Kayfus among Cleveland prospects in Single-A and higher. Genao is tied with José Tena for first in hits (88) and ranks first in doubles (21). He is tied for third in extra-base hits (31) with No. 6 prospect Juan Brito.

For the week of June 25-30, Genao was named the Captain of the Week after hitting .471 with a .526 on-base percentage. Entering Tuesday, he was the only player in the Minor Leagues this season with at least a .330 average, more than 30 extra-base hits and more than 15 stolen bases.

Single-A Lynchburg: OF Jaison Chourio, Guardians’ No. 3 prospect
There’s a reason Chourio was just named to the 2024 All-Star Futures Game. The 19-year-old outfielder has been stellar this season, hitting .270 with 48 RBIs and a .790 OPS in 65 games. But what’s been most impressive is his patience at the plate. He has more walks (50) than strikeouts (46).