Jaison Chourio posed for a photo behind home plate at Goodyear Ballpark on Feb. 25, before the Guardians’ Cactus League game against the Brewers. It was a special occasion; the 19-year-old center fielder was standing beside his brother, Brewers star outfielder Jackson Chourio.
“It was a beautiful moment and it’s special,” Jaison Chourio said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “Also it was a bigger reason to keep dreaming.”
The brothers dreamed about sharing a big league field in childhood, and that could manifest in the Majors in due time. Jaison Chourio, who signed with Cleveland as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2022, is one of MLB’s top prospects. He’s ranked No. 3 on the Guardians’ Top 30 list and No. 59 overall by MLB Pipeline.
A switch-hitter, Chourio has good bat-to-ball skills, a strong command of the strike zone and dashing speed. His potential was on display in the March 14 Spring Breakout game against the Mariners. Chourio (who is part of Cleveland’s depth camp roster this spring) started in center field and went 3-for-4 with a trio of base hits and two runs scored.
Chourio’s ability to impact the ball figures to increase as he matures physically, which would add another tool to his impressive hitting profile. What he already has displayed is reason for excitement.
“He's shown the ability to hit,” said Stephen Osterer, the Guardians’ VP of player development. “He's shown the ability to get better and build out a routine to support his long-term development as well. Overall, [we’re] excited about last year. But I think [we’re] more excited about the long term with him. He’s a great player.”
Chourio made his professional debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2022. He played 48 games in ’23 between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians (39) and Single-A Lynchburg (nine).
Chourio was having an impressive 2024 with Lynchburg before suffering a season-ending fractured left wrist in August. In 98 games, he compiled a .269/.414/.398 slash line, walked 86 times compared to 69 strikeouts and stole 44 bases. He also represented Cleveland in the All-Star Futures Game.
"The more you play,” Chourio said, “the more you learn and see and start figuring out the things that you need to put in practice in the game. So I feel going forward, that's the biggest lesson for me -- to keep putting in practice all the little things that I've been learning year after year and putting it in practice in the years forward.”
Chourio noted Guardians veterans José Ramírez and Carlos Santana have been two important influences for him this spring; they’ve stressed how important it is to have a great mindset. Chourio’s time in camp has been a continued opportunity to learn.
“Everything that [the veterans] do on the field is imperative to you to learn,” Chourio said. “It's huge to have that feedback from guys like Santana and Ramirez. It's really special to be around them. It's hard to put into words, but it feels really special for you to learn more sides of the game.”
Of course, Chourio’s brother has also been influential. Jackson made his MLB debut on Opening Day last season with the Brewers, at 20 years old. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year Award voting.
“It’s a challenging game,” Jaison said. “So he’s always reminding me to stay positive, and most importantly to always try to be better. Never settle for anything. Just always keep improving and have that mindset to be a better player every day.”
“It’s good that my brother has had a certain amount of success up to this point,” Jackson said. “I’m happy for that, and I’m happy for the success that I have had on my own.”
And with that success, it may not be long before the brothers share another special moment, on the big league stage.
“We are aware that there’s a lot of work to do and a lot of things to learn to get to that point,” Jaison Chourio said. “But we’re really excited about the opportunity, that it might happen someday.”