Gabriel Arias is our No. 11 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 12?

Jan 24, 2023 - 5:35 PM

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In the second consecutive tight race, Gabriel Arias eeked out the No. 11 spot in our prospect countdown with 38% of the vote, defeating Cody Morris (34%).

Arias was one of six players received from the Padres in the Mike Clevinger trade, but the second to last to make his MLB debut.

A talented shortstop who reached Triple-A by the time he was 21 years old, Arias impressively posted a 115 wRC+ in his debut season with the Columbus Clippers, which was hopefully setting the stage for a big MLB debut in 2022.

Unfortunately, an early right-hand fracture prevented Arias from being effective in Triple-A last season, causing him to miss more than a month. He received two brief promotions to the MLB level, where he struggled and was overaggressive at the plate.

Later in the season once he’d fully recovered, Arias finally had his moment to shine.

In his third stint with the MLB club, he showed what he was truly capable of. Not only did he blast a mammoth home run off of Tyler Glasnow, he also showed patience at the plate, walking 18.9% of the time while slashing .250/.417/.464, good for a nasty 158 wRC+ over a two-week span.

Arias can play all four infield positions and has a cannon for an arm. Look for him to get a serious look in 2023 at the MLB level while Cleveland tries to sort out its middle infielder logjam.

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Juan Brito, 2B (Age 22)
2022 (A): 497 PA, .286/.407/.470, 11 HR, 17 SB, 15.7 BB%, 14.3 K%, 129 wRC+

Acquired from the Rockies in November. Would not be surprised to see the Guardians bump him straight to Double-A to see how he fares with his advanced hitting tool.

Joey Cantillo, LHP (Age 23)
2022 (AA): 60.2 IP, 13 GS, 35.5 K%, 11.4 BB%, 1.93 ERA, 2.51 FIP

Didn’t pitch a full season at Double-A, but looked dominant when he did. When healthy, Cantillo has all the makings of a solid member of a starting rotation.

Justin Campbell, RHP (Age 21)
37th overall pick in 2022 MLB Draft

Two-way player in college who can touch the mid- to upper-90s on the mound.

Jaison Chourio, OF (Age 17)
2022 (DSL): 175 PA, .280/.446/.402, 1 HR, 14 SB, 22.9 BB%, 12.6 K%, 140 wRC+

The younger brother of consensus top 10 prospect in all of MLB Jackson Chourio, Jaison had a solid pro debut in the 2022 Dominican Summer League (higher wRC+ than Jackson in 2021) and the hype is building.

Xzavion Curry, RHP (Age 24)
2022 (AA): 69.0 IP, 11 GS, 28.4 K%, 6.7 BB%, 3.65 ERA, 3.75 FIP
2022 (AAA): 53.0 IP, 10 GS, 23.5 K%, 10.0 BB%, 4.58 ERA, 4.98 FIP
2022 (MLB): 9.1 IP, 2 GS, 6.4 K%, 12.8 BB%, 5.79 ERA, 6.11 FIP

Another Cleveland pitching factory success story. Curry exploded through the system in 2021, then advanced three more levels in 2022 to make two spot starts at the MLB level.

Welbyn Francisca, SS (Age 16)
2023 international free agent signing

One of the most highly regarded hitting prospects in the 2023 IFA class; a twitchy, athletic fielder at shortstop.

Petey Halpin, OF (Age 20)
2022 (A+): 434 PA, .262/.346/.385, 6 HR, 16 SB, 10.4 BB%, 21.2 K%, 107 wRC+

Despite being young for his level, posted his second straight season with an above-average wRC+ in full-season ball.

Parker Messick, LHP (Age 22)
54th overall pick in 2022 MLB Draft

Heavy strike-thrower with the potential for four quality pitches.

Cody Morris, RHP (Age 26)
2022 (AAA): 15.1 IP, 3 GS, 51.7 K%, 10.3 BB%, 2.35 ERA, 2.46 FIP
2022 (MLB): 23.2 IP, 5 GS, 23.0 K%, 12.0 BB%, 2.28 ERA, 4.34 FIP

An early shoulder injury likely prevented him from earning a permanent spot in Cleveland’s starting rotation in 2022. Morris impressed in limited appearances at the MLB level.

Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/3B/OF (Age 21)
2022 (A+): 252 PA, .219/.286/.509, 19 HR, 1 SB, 7.1 BB%, 31.7 K%, 111 wRC+
2022 (AA): 278 PA, .242/.338/.488, 13 HR, 2 SB, 10.8 BB%, 22.7 K%, 122 wRC+
2022 (AAA): 18 PA, .176/.222/.235, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5.6 BB%, 38.9 K%, 20 wRC+

The most powerful prospect in Cleveland’s system, Noel blasted 33 home runs in 2022 and actually improved after being promoted to Double-A.

Jose Tena, SS (Age 21)
2022 (AA): 550 PA, .264/.299/.411, 13 HR, 8 SB, 4.5 BB%, 25.1 K%, 91 wRC+
2022 (AAA): 23 PA, .368/.478/.632, 1 HR, 0 SB, 17.4 BB%, 17.4 K%, 194 wRC+

An AFL darling who has shown glimpses of greatness in small sample sizes. We’re still waiting to see it over the course of a full season.