2024 Cleveland Guardians Prospect Scouting Report: #33 INF Jose Tena

Was Tena's improved approach in 2023 for real, and can it raise his floor?

Jose Tena Bio

• Age (2024 season): 23

• Acquired: International Free Agent (2017)

• 2023 Level: Double-A/Triple-A/MLB

• Height: 5’9

• Weight: 159

• Bats: Left

• Throws: Right

Jose Tena 2023 (Minor League) Stats

• PA: 428

• AVG/OBP/SLG: .274/.359/.418

• 2B: 25

• HR: 8

• SB: 16/23

• K%/BB%: 28.3%/10.5%

Build & Background

Compact, athletic build. Not much projection remaining in his frame. Does have some wiry strength. Part of Cleveland’s 2017 international class from the Dominican Republic. Distant cousin of former Cleveland DH Franmil Reyes and nephew of former Cleveland 3B Juan Uribe. Good baseball bloodlines. Made MLB debut in 2023 following Jose Ramirez’s TKO of White Sox SS Tim Anderson on August 5.

What Tena Does Well

Defense is Tena’s most sure tool at this point. He has an above average arm from the left side of the infield. He can handle short, third and second. Hes’s also an above-average runner out of the box, better underway, though he could fill out a little more and settle in at average. Has average raw power, though it plays as below average in games due to contact issues. Likes to pull pitches on the and low and inner half like many left handers. Good at elevating the ball and will use the whole field to hit the gaps. Did take steps forward in 2023 to show a more patient approach. Oddly, in the minors, Tena has had reverse platoon splits and has actually fared better against left-handed hitters.

Where Tena Needs to Improve

Contact and approach is still Tena’s biggest challenge that holds back his offensive ceiling. He doesn’t make enough contact to get to all of his power, though it manifests in doubles power, despite his ability to elevate the ball. Shows a tendency to chase high heat. Doesn’t appear to pick up offspeed stuff well and will chase in the dirt and get out in front. He’s not afraid to take a big swing and sometimes that gets him in trouble. If he adds more to his frame, his speed could be reduced to more average. 

Key Stats

Tena’s better swing decisions and approach was a big jump for him in 2023. He was in the mid-single digits before 2023 in walk rate, and last year it jumped to 10.5%, almost doubling his previous number. In his brief major league stint, this number did sort of hold. He only chased out of the zone 21% of the time, compared to major league average in 2023 of 31.9%. That could help aid his contact issues and boost his offensive value.

Intangibles

He has the baseball bloodlines and has also been willing to work with Cleveland hitting coaches on improving his approach at the plate and other swing changes.

Future

Tena has the tools and skill set to be an average major league regular, but his contact issues and propensity to chase breaking balls are the big red flags here. There’s a good ceiling here, but it’s hard to know what would happen in the majors with a full season of plate appearances against good breaking stuff if he would be exposed or adjust. His defense and good raw power are probably going to earn him plenty of big league time, at least on the bench, but unlikely in Cleveland. He could be a good second division regular, but his contact issues are the big separator. I might be a little low on Tena after his approach improvement a year ago, but I still need to see that manifest against big league pitching first or over a ful year at Triple-A at least.

Role 

40 - Utility infielder, fringe regular