2025 Cleveland Guardians Prospect Scouting Report: #10 1B CJ Kayfus

Can Kayfus impact Cleveland in 2025?

Bio

• Age (2025 season): 23

• Acquired: 2023 Draft (3rd Round)

• 2024 Level: Double-A

• Height: 6’0

• Weight: 190

• Bats: Left

• Throws: Left

First Impression

Doesn’t have the typical physical build of a first baseman, especially the power hitting type. Looks hitter-ish through with enough contact, eye and the right kind of swing to maximize power output.

2025 Scouting Grades

• Hit: 50

• Power: 50

• Speed: 40

• Defense: 50

• Arm: 45

• Overall: 45

• Risk: Moderate

• ETA: 2026

What Makes Kayfus Fun

When you don’t have traditional raw power but play a position that demands you hit for power, you better find a way to get to some, because defense, speed and and even batting average alone aren’t enough at that position. It’s a profile that you always want to hope to equal out to a productive major leaguer, but the bar is high. Luckily for Kayfus, his swing is optimized for pulled fly balls. He’s got a quiet setup in the box with a tilted barrel in his setup and easy working hands into his load. Shows good timing and ability to match the plane of the pitch. Has good bat path adjustability. Good zone awareness and discipline. Makes enough contact and reads spin fairly well. It’s too small of a sample to know for sure yet, but he hit .342/.393/.532 against left handed pitchers last year. Even with just 20 homer power, the bat is much more playable and exciting if there are no platoon split concerns. Capable defender around the bag at first base. Has played the outfield.

What Could Hold Kayfus Back

It is a tough position to crack due to the offensive bar. We’ve seen the Jake Bauers, Casey Kotchman types, etc. Kayfus’ exit velocities aren’t going to make any comparisons to Vlad Guerrero Jr. or Pete Alonso. There’s still room for improvement in terms of bat speed and overall strength. His contact rates are fine but they’ll need to improve a little as well in order to maximize his pulled fly ball tendencies. Kayfus is a skilled defensive first baseman who handes left field, but he’s probably not an everyday outfielder. He’s not adding much on the bases either. It’s bat or bust.

Key Metric

36.3% and 43.9% - Kayfus’ fly ball and pull rates in 2024, and he’ll benefit from hitting in Columbus with those data points coming from his swing. He probably even needs more fly balls to maximize any pull side power he has.

Intangibles

Kayfus seems to know what his strengths are and is confident in being able to utilize them, whether that is moonlighting in the outfield and working to continue to lift the ball and identify better pitches to pull.

Future

It all depends on how much power Kayfus hits for. Is a 20 homer first baseman that can get on base at a .330-.340 clip. 20 homers and .800 OPS is probably the bare minimum to stick, but he and Cleveland will need to shoot for more. He might profile better as a six/seventh hitter in a good lineup. He does have to battle Kyle Manzardo for 1B/DH and potentially Ralphy Velazquez in a few years, both who profile with a bit more power. There’s plenty of reasons to be intrigued here, but one of them might end up as potential trade bait.

Role/Risk

45/Moderate - Fringe regular first baseman with that should flirt with the 20 homer range with a solid OBP