Cleveland Guardians Prospect Report 5/25/25
Jacob Cozart and Welbyn Francisca are starting to get into the swing of things
Scoreboard:
Iowa Cubs 9, Columbus Clippers 3 - Statcast
Altoona Curve 1, Akron RubberDucks 0 (G1 - F/7)
Akron RubberDucks 5, Altoona Curve 4 (G2 - F/7)
Lansing Lugnuts 6, Lake County Captains 3
Lynchburg Hillcats 8, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 0
Highlights:
Brayan Rocchio (SS, Columbus): 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, BB, SB, 2 DPs - The switch-hitting Rocchio had one base knock from each side of the plate - one in the eighth and one in the ninth. The latter of which drove in a pair of runs to make the result look not quite as lopsided. Along with his efforts in the box, he stole his third base in 12 games with the Clippers and started two double plays defensively.
Trenton Denholm (SP, Akron – G1): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 7 Ks, E1T FPO – Denholm was lights out in game one for the RubberDucks but his offense could not pick him up in the no decision. After allowing a pair of hits in the second, the UC Irvine product punched out two to leave the go-ahead run stranded 90 feet from home. He had to work around an error on his own behalf, but once again left a runner in scoring position in his fifth and final inning. Seven strikeouts ties his Double-A career-high.
Jorge Burgos (1B, Akron – G2): 2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBIs, 2 DPs – Burgos did nearly everything for Akron in their 5-4 win with four RBIs. Burgos gave the RubberDucks the lead with a two-run double in the third and then struck again in the fifth with a two-run single up the middle. His double was the lone extra-base hit of the game for the team. He further improves his team-high RBI total to 41 through Memorial Day.
Jacob Cozart (C, Lake County): 2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 BBs, PB - The Captains backstop reached base in all four plate appearances and delivered a two-out, two-run double in the third inning to draw back to even. He drew a walk in the eighth to bring the tying run to the dish, but his teammates were unable to work him around the diamond. It is his first time reaching base multiple times in a game since May 15 in the series at Great Lakes.
Ralphy Velasquez (1B, Lake County): 2-for-3, BB, HBP - Velasquez reached base four times as well as he continues to try to turn a corner on the 2025 season. He is still under the Mendoza line with a .190 batting average on the year despite six games with multiple hits in the month of May - unfortunately all other games have been 0-fors for the 2023 First Round selection.
Melkis Hernandez (SP, Lynchburg): W (4-1), 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 7 Ks – The 20-year-old had to battle in a pitcher’s duel and eventually left the game after six shutout innings with a 1-0 lead at the time. Hernandez has been red hot over his last seven starts and this is probably his best performance of 2025 with seven strikeouts (ties season-high) and just three baserunners allowed. He has surrendered just two earned runs over his last 37.0 innings pitched.
Notable Performances:
Kyle Datres (1B, Columbus): 1-for-2, R, BB, HBP, 2 DPs - Datres made it back-to-back games where he reached base three times after he singled to lead off the seventh inning and drew a walk and was hit by a pitch in the contest.
Cooper Ingle (DH, Akron – G2): 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI – On top of recording the lone RubberDuck hit in game one, Ingle added a multi-hit game two to carry his hit streak to six games (eight game on-base streak). His single in the third inning drove in the team’s first run of the day.
Wuilfredo Antunez (LF, Lake County): 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI - Antunez hit his fourth homerun of the 2025 season in the loss, a solo shot to put Lake County in front to start the bottom of the fourth.
Austin Aldeano (RP, Lynchburg): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 Ks – A lead-off walk for Aldeano to start the seventh did not deter him from a quality relief appearance as he went on to strikeout the other three batters he faced.
Luis Flores (RP, Lynchburg): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 4 Ks – Flores kept the shutout going for the team with a hitless eighth and ninth innings that featured four punchouts.
Bennett Thompson (C, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, GIDP – Thompson hopefully broke up a bit of a slump with an RBI single in the sixth to put the Hillcats in front. He was previously 0-for-13 in the last four games played.
Welbyn Francisca (DH, Lynchburg): 2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI, SB, CS – Francisca joined Thompson as the only two batters with multiple hits in Sunday’s win. His single in the seventh extended the Lynchburg lead to 4-0 and he extended his hit streak to eight straight.
Jeffrey Mercedes (2B, Lynchburg): 1-for-3, R, 2 BBs, SB, 2 DPs – The 20-year-old reached base three times with the help of a pair of walks and defensively chipped in on a pair of double play balls.