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.

Over the last few years, the Guardians have thoroughly enjoyed watching their top prospects thrive at the Major League level.

Some, such as Nolan Jones, have been traded, and others, like Daniel Espino, have been plagued by injuries, but the team couldn't have had the success it had in 2022 without up-and-comers, such as Steven Kwan, providing exceptional defense and timely hits. This season, the Guardians would’ve fallen apart if rookie starters Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen wouldn’t have handled replacing the injured Triston McKenzie, Shane Bieber and Cal Quantrill.

The Guardians have seen the success they can have by trusting their system. They also know the handful of areas that need improvement. Now, they’re hoping the next wave of highly touted prospects can make a difference over the next few years. And in MLB Pipeline’s newest rankings, some of the best players in Cleveland’s system are ready (or almost ready) for the big leagues.

Here’s a look at the Guardians top prospects:

1. Brayan Rocchio, SS (MLB No. 52)
2. Kyle Manzardo, 1B (No. 63)
3. Espino, RHP (No. 86)
4. Chase DeLauter, OF (No. 91)
5. George Valera, OF

Complete Top 30 list >>

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Welbyn Francisca, SS (Preseason: Not ranked | Midseason: 15) -- The Guardians signed 17-year-old Francisca out of the Dominican Republic in January. Coming into the season, he didn’t make Cleveland’s Top 30 prospects list, but he quickly burst onto the scene once he entered games in the Dominican Summer League. In 39 games, he’s hit .324 with a .942 OPS. He’s known for his ability to make hard contact more than his power, but MLB Pipeline experts say his hitting ability mixed with his bat speed could lead to 15-20 homer seasons.

Fall: Justin Campbell, RHP (Preseason: 13 | Midseason: 23) -- Well, this drop was well out of Campbell’s hands. He was drafted in Competitive Balance Round A in 2022, but he has yet to make his professional debut because he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow in May. MLB Pipeline still projects the 22-year-old righty to be at least a No. 4 starter by the time he reaches the big leagues, especially in an organization that has a knack for developing pitchers.

Campbell has a plus changeup and an above-average curveball that stands out more than his 91-93 mph heater, though the fastball generates a lot of weak contact. His 6-foot-7 frame also creates deception for hitters, causing plenty of awkward swings.

New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

No. 2 Kyle Manzardo, 1B (Acquired from Tampa Bay in exchange for RHP Aaron Civale)
No. 7 Ralphy Velazquez, C (2023 first-round Draft pick) 
No. 9 Alex Clemmey, LHP (2023 second-round Draft pick) 
No. 16 Kahlil Watson, SS (Acquired from Miami in exchange for 1B Josh Bell) 
No. 18 Andrew Walters, RHP (2023 Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick)
No. 21 Alex Mooney, SS (2023 seventh-round Draft pick)
No. 30 C.J. Kayfus, OF (2023 third-round Draft pick)

Impact callup
OF Johnathan Rodriguez (No. 24): The Guardians rank last in the Majors in home runs and could try to tap into the power of Rodriguez. The 23-year-old is a 2017 third-round pick from a Puerto Rican academy and has slammed 18 homers in 88 Double-A games and two in his first five Triple-A contests. One club official likened him to 2022 American League Wild Card Series hero Oscar Gonzalez with better swing decisions.

Best tools

Players are graded on a traditional 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 60 -- Manzardo (Juan Brito, Jaison Chourio)
Power: 60 -- DeLauter (Jhonkensy Noel)
Run: 65 -- Watson
Arm: 60 -- DeLauter (Milan Tolentino, Watson)
Defense: 60 -- Dayan Frias (Rocchio, Tolentino)
Fastball: 80 -- Espino
Curveball: 60 -- Clemmey
Slider: 70 -- Espino
Changeup: 60 -- Joey Cantillo (Campbell, Parker Messick)
Control: 60 -- Will Dion (Messick)