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Cleveland Guardians prospect bouncing back in Winter Ball

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Matthew Pisani  |  Last updated Dec 16, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The Major League season is well over, but there is always baseball going on. You have winter baseball all over the Americas. Down in South America, the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, the top Venezuelan winter league, is in full force. 

Down in Venezuela, one of the Guardians’ prospects, Jaison Chourio, has been hitting the ball like crazy. Jaison Chourio is, in fact, the younger brother of Brewers’ All-Star Jackson Chourio. The Guardians can only hope Jaison compares to what Jackson has been able to do thus far in his MLB career.

Jaison Chourio is a raw, young 20-year-old switch-hitting prospect, ranked #32 by Baseball America heading into last season. He was also a participant in the 2024 Futures Game. Chourio did not have the strongest year in the Minors, batting .237 in 308 at-bats, with a .665 OPS. He only had two home runs and ten steals.

Those numbers are down from previous years. In 2024, Chourio had a .269 average with 44 steals and five homers. In his Minor League career, Chourio has a .270 average, a .780 OPS, and 88 steals. The discrepancy between his career and what he did last year is staggering.

Chourio was battling with injuries last season, landing on the IL in May with a shoulder injury. He missed about three weeks with the injury, and it seems he was never able to get his footing back after the injury.

Now, after being given some time to fully recover, he is crushing it down in Venezuela with the Aguilas. Over 37 games, Chourio is batting .303 with 13 RBI, 19 runs scored, and eight steals.

It sure seems like Jaison Chourio is returning to his usual form, hitting for contact, causing chaos on the basepaths, and scoring runs. 

This is exactly what the Guardians are looking for. Yes, they have been rumored to be interested in a veteran right-handed hitter, but why not a young, promising switch hitter? Chourio is raw and rough around the edges, but so was someone like Chandler Simpson for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. Simpson went on to have a .295 average with 44 steals in 109 games in his rookie year. 

Chourio fits what the Guardians love to do. Get on base, pass the baton, and wreak havoc on the bases, forcing the defense and pitcher to make plays to prevent you from scoring. As we all know, scoring was the Guardians’ Achilles’ Heel last season, ranking near the bottom in runs scored per game.

Chourio will likely get some run in Spring Training, but is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. That being said, if an outfielder were to get injured or the Guardians find themselves way out of playoff positioning, Chourio may find his way to the Majors to fill some holes and see what he can do. He will likely not stay up for long to maintain team control for longer, especially with such promise at such a young age. That should not prevent Cleveland from seeing what they have.

If Chourio has a bounce-back beginning to 2026 in the Minors after a strong showing in Venezuela, the Guardians will have him high on their radar, looking to him to potentially fill holes, for better or for worse. 

If the Guardians trade Steven Kwan, Chourio can do what Kwan does: hit for average and be a staple in the lineup while playing a strong outfield. Again, Chourio is unlikely to see a lot of time with the Guardians in 2026, but it is exciting to see him bounce back this way in Winter ball. Now Chourio needs to maintain that consistency into Spring Training and the beginning of the season. If he can do that, Guardians fans may get to know Jaison Chourio sooner rather than later.


This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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