Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 6/5/25
Triston McKenzie rebounds in Arizona, Austin Peterson continues to push for a promotion, Jake Miller emerging as a relief prospect
SCOREBOARD
Columbus Clippers 3, Toledo Mud Hens 2 - Statcast
Akron RubberDucks 4, Chesapeake Baysox 1
West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Lake County Captains 4 (F/11)
Salem Red Sox 7, Lynchburg Hillcats 6
ACL Guardians 11, ACL Reds 8 (F/7 - scheduled) - no Statcast
DSL Rays 7, DSL Guardians Mendoza 2 (F/7)
DSL Tampa Bay 5, DSL Guardians Goryl 4
HIGHLIGHTS
Yordys Valdes (3B, Columbus): 2-3, HR - Valdes has played more third recently with Rocchio back in Columbus but is a capable defender everywhere, though ironically he made a throwing error (just his second of the year) in this one. He may still have a future as a utility man. Despite this homer, he still has a light bat.
Doug Nikhazy (SP, Columbus): 6IP, 4H, 2R, 1BB, 7K - It’s nice to see just one walk and only 89 pitches in six innings for Nikhazy against a veteran Toledo lineup that has guys with previous major league success. Easily his best start this year, maybe in the last two years.
Austin Peterson (SP, Akron): 6IP, 3H, ER, 7K - Peterson went nine up, nine down to start the game. He had a bumpy start last time out but we are still beyond the point of him needing Triple-A reps at this point.
Jake Miller (RP, Akron): 2IP, 5K - Another pitcher I’d like to see challenged in Triple-A. Miller only sits 93-94 and doesn’t get a ton of whiffs, but his changeup moves, his cutter is deceiving and moves. It’s a really nice arsenal but I need to see it against Triple-A hitters and the major league ball.
Jonah Advincula (LF, Lake County): 3-5, RBI, SB - Advincula had a two home game on Wednesday and then came back with a three hit day and stole his 17th base. There’s not a ton of thump in the bat, but he’s having an interesting year.
Tommy Hawke (CF, Lynchburg): 4-5, 2B, SB, 3 RBI - Hawke now has 49 steals and we’re not even at the All-Star break. He is fast, but remember that at Low-A, pitchers struggle to control the run game and catchers are also not great throwers
Triston McKenzie (SP, ACL): ND, 3 IP, 1 BB, 4 K - Yes, he is a long way from getting back to the Big Club, but looking the part of a major leaguer dominating complex ball hitters is a huge positive sign following his rough ACL season debut last Saturday.
Yerlin Luis (LF, ACL): 2-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Luis’ first official multi-hit game of 2025 was a huge one as he completed the harder half of the cycle in an effort highlighted by a three-run homer in the top of the seventh (the final inning of last night’s game) that drove in what proved to be the game-winning runs. Oh, and he did all of this batting ninth.
Yeiferth Castillo (RF, ACL): 1-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K - Castillo continued his solid start to his domestic debut season by opening his stateside home run account with a leadoff blast to right in the fourth. His second RBI came on the first of three-straight bases-loaded free passes (two walks followed by an HBP) that tied the game back up and got the A-Guards’ seven-run seventh frame started.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Johnathan Rodriguez (RF, Columbus): 1-3, HR, K - Rodriguez is hitting for less power in Columbus this year. Part of that has to do with his launch angle dropping 7.2 to 3.2 (somewhere in the teens is ideal). This is a continued reason why despite his big power, he doesn’t often get to enough of it in the majors to be a factor. That and defense are why Noel is still in Cleveland getting chances and Rodriguez isn’t.
Cooper Ingle (DH, Akron): 0-2, 2BB - Despite no hits, it’s nice to see Ingle is able to draw walks and still manage to get on base. Given his current stretch, you’d like to see him get a shot at Triple-A, but the lack of playing time there and no logical replacement in Akron hampers that unfortunately.
Jackson Humphries (SP, Lake County): 4.1IP, 2H, ER, 5BB, 4K - Holding this West Michigan lineup to a run and just two hits is impressive. Five walks however, is not. Humphries in his short career is hard to hit, but he has a hard time finding the strike zone almost every game.
Welbyn Francisca (SS, Lynchburg): 1-3, 2 BB, 2 SB - I’m more impressed with the two walks than Francsica’s recent tear offensively with the bat. Though plate discipline at this level is hard to take seriously with how pitching is in Low-A.
Pedro Dalmagro (1B, ACL): 1-2, 2 R, 2 RBI - Dalmagro’s pair of sac flies - including a go-ahead one in the seventh - brought his season total to three (out of seven total RBI) in eight games so far this season, nearly equaling the four he hit in 35 games last year in his final DSL campaign.
Dauri Fernandez (3B, ACL): 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB,1 K - Even on a relatively quiet night, Fernandez reached twice and scored. His is a name you should get used to seeing in this column a lot this season.
Robert Arias (CF, ACL): 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB - Speaking of Fernandez, Arias equaled hom for the team lead with his seventh stolen base of the campaign last night.
Estivel Morillo (CF, DSL Mendoza): 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 SF, 1 K, 1 Outfield Assist - Despite going hitless, Morillo continued a solid start to his second pro season with the team’s only RBI of Thursday’s contest and an outfield assist.
Pablo Arosemena (C, DSL Mendoza): 1-3, 1 R, 1 K - Speaking of hitless, that’s what Mendoza would’ve been had Arosemena not singled in the first game of his third DSL campaign.
Alejandro Blasco (LF, DSL Mendoza): 0-1, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SB - Blasco, who opened the day’s scoring for the Mendoza side on a wild pitch after his first walk in the fifth, opened his 2025 stolen base account a frame later after his second free pass of the day.
Marcos Belen (RF, DSL Mendoza): 0-1, 2 BB, 1 SB - Belen, who manned the other corner of the outfield in his third professional contest, also walked twice and stole a base.
Raul Trujillo (SP, DSL Mendoza): ND, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R (earned), 3 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K - Despite some control issues, Trujillo started his second pro season on a positive note.
Randy Martinez (3B, DSL Goryl): 1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB - Martinez picked up his first RBI and stolen base of the new season in a performance where he stood out by doing a little of everything on a day when few hitters were doing much of anything on either Dominican Republic-based Guardians squad.
Wuinder Torres (C, DSL Goryl): 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K - Torres immediately followed Martinez in the first with Goryl’s only other RBI hit of the day.
Jose Marcano (1B, DSL Goryl): 0-2, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 CS - Marcano, the Goryl hitter other than Martinez to reach twice on Thursday, has now walked thrice without recording the first hit of his third season in the DSL.
Josh Perez (SP, DSL Goryl): ND, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K - An impressive pro debut for the highest-paid pitcher ($60,000) in this past January 15’s International Signing class.
Amilcar Teran (RP, DSL Goryl): 1.2 IP, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 2 K - Perez’s fellow 2025 signee also opened his career in scoreless fashion.