Angel Genao is our No. 4 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 5?
The talented switch-hitting middle infielder broke out in a big way in 2024, hitting well at two levels.
Angel Genao won a photo finish for the No. 4 Cleveland Guardians prospect voting in one of our closest races yet, 38% to 37% over Juan Brito by just six votes. It’s a hell of a leap for Genao, who failed to be ranked at all last year (he missed out on the No. 20 spot by seven votes).
Genao was a headlining member of Cleveland’s 2021 international signing class, a switch-hitting shortstop from the Dominican Republic who received a $1.175 million signing bonus. MLB Pipeline had him ranked No. 22 overall in the class.
In his debut season for the Dominican Summer League at age 17, Genao slashed .265/.422/.364 with an impressive 20.3% walk rate. The following season, he moved to the United States, where he impressed in the Arizona Complex League slashing .322/.394/.416 and earning an eight-game cup of coffee with full-season Lynchburg at the end of the season.
Genao spent his entire 2023 campaign with Lynchburg at age 19, slashing .263/.345/.385, although he missed the first two months of the season because of knee surgery that February and was a bit rusty.
Once fully healthy, Cleveland chose to repeat Genao at Lynchburg to begin the 2024 campaign and the move paid off. After stealing just six bases the entire 2023 season, he stole 12 in his first 44 games with Lynchburg while slashing .322/.377/.463 with a 166 wRC+, even earning Carolina League Player of the Week in May.
This earned Genao a promotion to Lake County, where he didn’t slow down, slashing .322/.377/.463 with another 13 stolen bases over 66 games played, good for a 140 wRC+. He finished his season with a career-high 10 home runs, more than double his previous best of four in 2023.
Genao continues to showcase improved power and line drive ability while spreading his hits to all fields. And as good as his offense has been, his fielding and speed are his currently highest-rated tools.
With the way he performed over a 66-game stretch (plus playoffs) at Lake County, Genao could easily begin 2025 at Double-A in a season he won’t turn 21 until mid-May. Genao is quite possibly the next super stud shortstop prospect for Cleveland.
Juan Brito, SS (Age 23)
2024 (AAA): 652 PA, .256/.365/.443, 21 HR, 13 SB, 13.5 BB%, 16.1 K%, 113 wRC+
A top candidate for the vacant second base job in Cleveland, Brito impressed in a 2024 season spent entirely at Triple-A, where he blasted a career-high 21 home runs.
Daniel Espino, RHP (Age 24)
2024: ——
Cleveland’s 2019 first round pick, once compared to Jacob DeGrom and Gerrit Cole, has struggled to stay healthy and has not pitched since 2022 due to shoulder surgeries.
Welbyn Francisca, SS (Age 18)
2024 (AZL): 201 PA, .328/.418/.523, 6 HR, 11 SB, 12.4 BB%, 12.4 K%, 139 wRC+
2024 (A): 132 PA, .325/.402/.402, 1 HR, 8 SB, 10.6 BB%, 20.5 K%, 141 wRC+
A top international signing, Francisca dominated the Arizona Complex League last year in his stateside debut, then didn’t miss a beat in a late season promotion to Lynchburg at age 18.
Cooper Ingle, C (Age 22)
2024 (A+): 183 PA, .338/.437/.578, 7 HR, 4 SB, 12.1 BB%, 18.0 K%, 188 wRC+
2024 (AA): 298 PA, .263/.366/.470, 10 HR, 1 SB, 12.3 BB%, 28.2 K%, 139 wRC+
Absolutely dominated High-A before impressing at Double-A following a midseason promotion. Walked more than he struck out while developing defensively.
C.J. Kayfus, 1B/OF (Age 23)
2024 (A+): 196 PA, .341/.383/.553, 6 HR, 12 SB, 7.1 BB%, 14.3 K%, 166 wRC+
2024 (AA): 300 PA, .322/.377/.463, 4 HR, 13 SB, 8.0 BB%, 16.3 K%, 140 wRC+
Has consistently destroyed baseballs at every level he’s played thus far in Cleveland’s system, showcasing improved power and a decent eye at the plate as well.
Austin Peterson, RHP (Age 25)
2024 (A+): 14 GS, 85 IP, 2.44 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 27.1 K%, 1.9 BB%
2024 (AA): 13 GS, 75 IP, 2.88 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 25.1 K%, 5.2 BB%
Peterson broke out as one of the top performing pitchers in the Guardians MiLB organization in 2024 with consistent and elite dominance at both High-A and Double-A.
Ralphy Velazquez, 1B (Age 19)
2024 (A) 373 PA, .243/.362/.414, 10 HR, 8 SB, 15.0 BB%, 20.1 K%, 131 wRC+
2024 (A+): 80 PA, .176/.275/.250, 1 HR, 0 SB, 12.5 BB%, 25.0 K%, 54 wRC+
Guardians 2023 1st round pick. Impressed as one of the youngest players at Single-A and represented Cleveland in the 2024 Futures Game, showcasing prodigious power.