Pair of Top 100 prospects to rep Guardians at Futures Game

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DETROIT -- The Guardians have gotten a lot of attention for sending five players (the most of any American League team) to Arlington, Texas, for the All-Star festivities. But let’s not forget that two more players will be there to represent Cleveland.

On Saturday afternoon, first-base prospect Ralphy Velazquez (ranked No. 4 in Cleveland’s system and No. 87 overall, according to MLB Pipeline) and outfield prospect Jaison Chourio (No. 3, No. 85 overall) will suit up at Globe Life Field for the All-Star Futures Game.

There are a slew of prospects making noise in the Guardians’ system this year. Kyle Manzardo (No. 2, No. 35 overall) and Juan Brito (No. 6) have been solid with Triple-A Columbus. C.J. Kayfus (No. 27) has been outstanding with Double-A Akron. If Chase DeLauter (No. 1, No. 28 overall) would’ve been healthy, he may have been in the Futures Game conversation, too.

“These are good problems to have,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said. “And fortunately, we don’t make the decision who gets to play in the Futures Game. That’s made by MLB. But we could’ve had five or 10 guys easily play in that game.”

But Velazquez and Chourio are among the youngest of the standouts in Cleveland’s system this year, which makes it exciting for the organization to see the depth that it has. The pair of 19-year-olds have spent all of the 2024 season with Single-A Lynchburg and each has already started to make a name for themself.

Velazquez was selected in the first round of last year’s MLB Draft and is projected by MLB Pipeline to reach the Majors in 2027. He was taken as a catcher but has moved primarily to first base. Velazquez was attractive to the Guardians because of his ability to hit for both average and power, which feeds into the organization’s new mantra of prioritizing small ball while feeling comfortable to impact the baseball much harder than in the past.

Velazquez has nine homers and 20 doubles with 46 RBIs through 69 games, with a .264 average and an .821 OPS.

“He’s hit quite a bit,” Harris said with a laugh. “We were really excited with him last year. We’ve slimmed him down. He’s gonna play a little bit of the outfield. He played some left field the other day. The bat’s electric. He’s hit, I think, [nine] home runs so far already. Yeah, he’s a really exciting young player for us. Futures Game acknowledged that. They came to us and asked if he could play. We’re excited to have him there.”

Like Velazquez, Chourio is also projected by MLB Pipeline to debut in ’27. But unlike his teammate, Chourio has been in Cleveland’s organization since ’22 after he was signed out of Venezuela. The outfielder has had the benefit of learning from his older brother, Jackson, who made headlines this year by signing a record $82 million contract before making his big league debut. Growing up, that challenged him to try to compete with an older and bigger player who had incredible talent. It helped him establish the confidence of knowing he can compete with anybody, and so far, that’s what he’s carried into his pro career.

Chourio is known more for his hit ability over his power, but MLB Pipeline experts believe if he adds more muscle to his 6-foot-1 frame, he could be a player who hits 15-20 homers a year. For now, it’s about his contact and his speed. He’s hit .273 with a .787 OPS, 20 doubles, three homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games this season. But what’s most impressive is his speed, swiping 26 bases in 32 attempts.

“Athletic center fielder. Can also play on the corners, as well,” Harris said. “Big body. Different from a lot of the frames that you’ve seen in our organization before, but [he's] just as versatile an athlete all over the field. He’s a really exciting player. I hate to do comps or anything like that, but we really like him.”