Guardians Focus On More Power-Hitters, Pitchers During Day 2 of MLB Draft

The Cleveland Guardians are notorious for targeting pitchers in the MLB Draft.

Whether it's in the first few rounds or in the closing picks, Cleveland always does their best to get their hands on future aces.

The Guardians went away from the strategy during the first three rounds of the draft, focusing on power-hitting position players.

That trend continued in the next 17 rounds, as Cleveland drafted more high-upside hitters, along with mostly more left-handed pitchers.

Pick No. 132: SS/3B Luke Hill - Ole Miss

With their first pick of the second day of the MLB Draft, the Guardians selected INF Luke Hill out of Ole Miss.

Hill doesn't have the same power as the previous hitters Cleveland selected in the draft, but he still has a lot of contact potential, receiving a hit grade of 55 by MLB.com.

In his third collegiate season, the 21-year-old slashed .336/.459/.488 with an OPS of .947, including eight home runs, nine doubles, and two triples.

Pick No. 162: 1B Riley Nelson - Vanderbilt

The Guardians continued to select offensive-minded players, taking 1B Riley Nelson.

Nelson demonstrated solid plate discipline, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 36/34 and a .344/.450/.526 slash line during his 2025 season at Vanderbilt

Given Nelson's frame of 6-3, 222 lbs, he likely has a future as either just a first baseman or a designated hitter.

Pick No. 192: LHP Nelson Keljo - Oregon State

The second pitcher the Guardians selected in the draft was Nelson Keljo out of Oregon State.

The left-hander pitched in 17 games (11 starts) and recorded a 4.01 ERA and 1.354 WHIP. His fastball currently sits around 93 mph, but has topped out at 97 mph on occasion.

Nelson's best pitch appears to be his changeup, which MLB.com gave a grade of 55.

Pick No. 222: RHP Will McCausland - Ole Miss

The next pitcher the Guardians took in the draft was RHP Will McCausland.

The right-handed pitcher finished the season with a 4.32 ERA in 41.2 innings of work.

Pick No. 252: 1B Anthony Martinez - UC Irvine

The Guardians took another hitter with their 8th-round pick in Anthony Martinez. The first baseman finished last season with an OPS of .838, including 14 doubles and five home runs.

Martinez is much more of a contact hitter rather than a power hitter right now, but he does have some raw power potential, so some of that pop could develop as he develops in the minors.

Pick No. 282: LHP Ryan Prager - Texas A&M

The Guardians selected LHP Ryan Prager in the middle of the draft. During Prager's collegiate career, he posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.260 WHIP.

The Los Angeles Angels initially drafted Prager in the third round of the 2024 draft, didn't sign and returned to Texas A&M for another season. Now, he'll be joining the Guardians organization.

Pick No. 312: LHP Harrison Bodendorf - Oklahoma State

Harrison Bondendorf is a left-handed pitcher who started his collegiate career at Hawaii before transferring to Oklahoma State.

At a Cowboy, he posted a 3.30 ERA and 1.047 WHIP. After transferring to Oklahoma, Bodendorf increased his strikeout rate and punched out 102 batters while walking only 28 hitters during the 2025 season.

Pick No. 342: C Tyler Howard - University of Portland

Tyler Howard is a catcher at the University of Portland.

Offensively, Howard has the potential to be a solid contact hitter. He finished with a .379 batting average during his junior season, and walked more (29 BB) than struck out (23).

Howard also has some potential to be a reliable defensive catcher, too.

Pick No. 372: LHP Ryan DeSanto - Penn State

Cleveland continued their trend of taking left-handed pitchers by selecting LHP Ryan DeSanto out of Penn State.

DeSanto doesn't have overpowering velocity right now, but MLB.com's draft profile for the lefty noted "the data on the pitch is off the charts, with huge spin rates that lead to a ton of carry to make it very effective above the hands, a reason why it produced a 24-percent miss rate and opponents only hit .182 against the pitch."

Pick No. 402: RHP Aaron Savary - Iowa

The Guardians selected just their second right-handed pitcher of the draft in Aaron Savary out of Iowa.

He pitched in 15 games for the Hawkeyes last season, posting a 4.37 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, and striking out 9.2 per nine innings.

Pick No. 432: SS Anthony Silva - TCU

Anthony Silva was mainly known for his defense at TCU. With a strong arm, he could play either shortstop or third base as he progresses through the minors.

He's also another position player with some nice offensive potential. He hit 10 doubles and six home runs with a .774 POPS during the 2025 season.

He did strike out a lot, but at 6-2, 200 lbs, with quick hands, there is some raw power to be excited about.

Pick No. 462: RHP Evan Chrest - Florida State University

Evan Chrest has been somewhat inconsistent as a pitcher during his time at Florida State, posting a 4.24 ERA and a 1.472 WHIP in college.

At his best, he can be a high-strikeout pitcher, but he also gives up 8.1 hits per nine innings.

Pick No. 492: RHP Luke Fernandez - Wallace State CC

The next pitcher the Guardians took in the draft is Luke Fernandez out of Wallace State.

Fernandez was named the NJCAA Pitcher of the Year after posting a 1.34 ERA, .79 WHIP, and striking out 127 batters in 80.2 innings of work.

Pick No. 522: C Cannon Peebles - Tennessee

The second catcher the Guardians took in the draft was Cannon Peebles out of Tennessee.

Peebles has much more of a future as a defensive-minded catcher than an offensive one, but still showed some solid plate awareness, posting an OBP of .335 in 2025.

He also earned SEC All-Tournament team honors.

Pick No. 552: RHP Zane Petty - Texas Tech

Zane Petty made 14 appearances (12 starts) with Texas Tech last season, posting an ERA of 5.92 and a 1.476 WHIP. He shows solid command of the zone, but only registered 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Pick No. 582: RHP Derek Munoz - Miami Christian School (HS)

The Guardians selected high school pitcher Derek Munoz with their second-to-last pick in the draft. During a Perfect Game workout, his fastball velocity reached 92 mph, indicating potential for solid velocity.

Pick No. 612: RHP Vaughn Neckar - Vista Murrieta (HS)

Cleveland's last pick of the 2025 MLB Draft was another High School pitcher, Vaughn Necker.

The right-hander is the eighth-ranked pitcher in California and the 34th-ranked pitcher in the nation.

Neckar's fastball reached 95 mph during a Perfect Game workout in July of 2025.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage