With the Browns firmly in the rearview mirror and the Cavs entering the dog days of the NBA season, Clevelanders can return their attention back to the baseball diamond as pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. With notable subtractions including Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, and Matthew Boyd, Stephen Vogt’s team will rely on new blood in order to make another late season push. While names like Chase DeLauter and Angel Genao dominate prospect talk, here are three Guardians’ prospects to watch for as winter’s snow subsides for grass.

#1 Doug Nikhazy, SP
Highly touted from the University of Mississippi, Nikhazy was selected by the Guardians in the 2nd round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The Rebels dominated SEC play with Nikhazy on the staff, as the southpaw went 24-6 with a 2.81 ERA during his tenure. After uncharacteristic struggles in the lower levels of the minors, Nikhazy broke out in 2024, going 7-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in Columbus (AAA). Doug negated his command issues that plagued his first two years in the organization and was selected to the Guardians 40-man roster this offseason. A fan favorite at every stop, signs and t-shirts that say “Doug Day” fill the crowd whenever the 25 year old makes a start. Nikhazy credits the Guardians’ organization for being one of the best in the sport. “If they’re (MLB) acting a certain way, it’s monkey see monkey do,” said Nikhazy. “They come in and they’re really good guys who are personable. I’ve been around a lot of fun groups and I attribute that to the guys in the big leagues.”

#2 Cooper Ingle, C
While Ingle doesn’t project to make an immediate impact on the roster like Nikhazy can, he may be the best kept secret amongst catching prospects in baseball. Ingle was a star catcher/outfielder at Clemson before being selected by Cleveland in the 4th round of the 2023 draft. A career .901 OPS bat in college, Ingle knocked 15 hits in a short stint with Lake County to end 2023. Like Nikhazy, 2024 was a breakout year for Cooper Ingle. Every baseball fan understands the difficulty of playing catcher every single day, so many MiLB fans thought Ingle may struggle at the plate as he transitioned to a full-time catching job in 2024. With Bo Naylor’s inconsistency and Ralphy Velazaquez moving to a 1B role, Ingle snagged the catcher of the future title with a rockstar campaign split between Lake County and Akron. At just 22 years old, while embracing a full-time catcher role for the first time in his life, Ingle slashed .305/.419/.478 with 11 home runs over 93 games. Keep a close eye on Ingle, because a fast start in Akron parlayed with a solid summer in Columbus may make Ingle a September call up candidate.

#3 George Valera, OF
Once compared to Manny Ramirez by The Athletic’s Zack Meisel, Valera was viewed as a surefire outfield bat that would be a staple of Cleveland’s order before injuries and struggles caused by injury derailed a once promising career. Valera is entering his seventh year in the organization without a major league appearance, despite being the popular pick of many to be a September call up last season before a season ending injury suffered in the outfield. Valera dominated the minor league system from 2019-2022 but has produced a slightly above average .761 OPS over 205 games in Columbus. The organization did not protect Valera this offseason but he resigned to a minor league contract where he figures to make his case to be on the opening day roster or in the first round of call ups. If Valera is healthy for the first time in a long time, his talent should warrant him serious consideration to be the LHH RF over Will Brennan.