Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; West infielder/catcher Ralphy Velazquez (24) during the Perfect Game All-American Classic high school baseball game at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Guardians Have Multiple Elite Prospects At Critical Position

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 16, 2025 3:25 PM ET

At the time, the Cleveland Guardians made a controversial decision to trade away Josh Naylor instead of allowing him to play out the rest of his contract or signing him to a long-term deal.

However, this choice is a little more understandable, considering that the Guardians have a ton of talent in the pipeline for this position.

Cleveland currently has two of MLB Pipeline's top-10 first baseman prospects.

Ralphy Velzaquez

Ralphy Velazquez is Cleveland's fifth-overall prospect and the fifth-ranked first-base prospect in all of baseball. Velazquez was Cleveland's first-round pick in the 2023 draft and has a ton of potential, especially as a power hitter.

Throughout his two-year minor league career, Velazquez has hit .238/.349/.405 with an OPS of .754, including 26 doubles and 13 home runs.

However, Velazquez struggled a bit after he was promoted to Lake County (High-A) in mid-2024. It would make the most sense if he spent the majority of his time at this level during the 2025 season.

C.J. Kayfus

The other highly-touted first-base prospect in the Cleveland system is C.J. Kayfus.

Kayfus wasn't considered one of the top players in his draft class. However, an incredible 2024 minor league campaign has put him on the map as one of the better overall prospects in the Cleveland system.

The 23-year-old is now considered the Guardians' sixth-ranked prospect and the eighth-ranked minor league first baseman.

IT’S ON

CJ Kayfus goes deep for his second homerun of the season !! pic.twitter.com/kih40424JI
— Lake County Captains (@LCCaptains) April 17, 2024

Kayfus hit .291/.393/.511 with a .904 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A last year. If Kayfus starts 2025 as well as he finished 2024, it wouldn't be surprising to see him quickly be promoted to Triple-A early on in the year.

It will be interesting to see if Kayfus stays at first base as he moves through Cleveland's system.

He's also played some outfield at the minor league level, and playing their defense could give the Guardians more opportunities to get his bat in the lineup once he reaches the major league level.

With Velazquez and Kayfus in the farm system and Carlos Santana, Kyle Manzardo, and even Jhonkensy Noel holding down the position in the big leagues, the Guardians should be set at first for the long-term future.

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

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