Cleveland Guardians Spring Training Prospect Report 3/3/25

Rodriguez homers, Brito still searching for consistency at the plate

Scoreboard

Seattle Mariners 7, Cleveland Guardians 2 (Statcast)

Starters

Johnathan Rodriguez (LF): 1-3, HR, RBI, K - Rodriguez popped a Luis Castillo fastball over the fence in Arizona, 105 off the bat. Rodriguez is a good fastball hitter but struggled with sliders off of guys in the pen later in this game and didn’t show any progress against breaking stuff. He has played a lot early on this spring, but there’s nothing to read into there more than just getting reps and the team getting a look at him.

Juan Brito (DH): 0-3, K - Brito has six strikeouts in 15 plate appearances. A little troubling for him, though it is early. You would like to see more contact and better swing decisions soon though.

Reserves

Yordys Valdes (SS): 1-1, 2B - Valdes has surprisingly stung the ball this spring. This double was 107 off the bat. Not reading much into it because each of the last two seasons I thought there was more coming from the bat at times only to see that fade out quickly. So it’s hard to buy an early Arizona mirage.

Milan Tolentino (3B): 0-1, K

CJ Kayfus (1B): 0-1 - Kayfus did have a successfully, very close ball-strike challenge, showing his eye for the zone. However, he followed it up with a groundout.

Dayan Frias (2B): 0-1

Kody Huff (C): 0-1, K

Micah Pries (1B): 0-1

Petey Halpin (CF): 0-0, BB - Fouled off two in zone pitches before working a walk. You’d just like to see him do something with those in zone pitches rather than foul them off.

Jason Chourio (LF): 0-1

Relievers

Zach Jacobs (RP): 0.1 IP, K - Came in when Clase’s day was done and threw six pitches to get one out.

Will Dion (RP): 2IP, 3H, ER, 4K - Dion was only 89-91 with the fastball, as usual. I thought he did a good job throwing his curveball for strikes - not always easy in the Arizona conditions. He got some whiffs on the changeup too. Dion looks more to me like someone who should maybe fill an Eli Morgan type role - gain a little on the fastball from being in the bullpen and bringing a good curve and change, and hopefully see his fastball sit more 92-93 than 89-91 as a starter.

Mason Hickman (RP): 0.1IP, H, 3ER, 3BB - Rough day control wise and left the bases loaded where Andrew Misiaszek gave up some inherited runs on Hickman’s behalf. His fastball has begun to settle again at 89-91.

Andrew Misiaszek (RP): 0.2IP, H - The lone hit led to two runs scoring charged to Hickman

Did Not Play

RHP Trenton Denholm

RHP Jay Driver

RHP Jake Miller

LHP Steven Perez

C Kevin Rivas

INF Tyresse Turner

OF Christopher Espinola