Guardians 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft Preview

Held every December once a year at the remaining day of the Winter Meetings, the MLB Rule 5 Draft permits golf equipment with out a complete 40-man roster to choose sure non-40-man roster gamers from different golf equipment.

In 2021 the Cleveland Guardians added a document 11 gamers after the season ended to the groups 40-man roster to give protection to them from being decided on within the Rule 5 draft. The Draft then again in the end ended up being canceled and not came about as a result of the lockout.

Six of the ones 11 gamers made their MLB debut in 2022 for the group in Steven Kwan, Tyler Freeman, Richie Palacios, Bryan Lavastida, Cody Morris and Konnor Pilkington.

Other gamers added integrated George Valera, Brayan Rocchio, Jose Tena and Jhonkensy Noel who all are simply 21-years-of age, and all completed the 2022 season at Triple-A Columbus.

Only some of the 11 gamers is not with the group in RHP Tobias Myers who the Guardians designated for task on July second after a horrible begin to his yr at Triple-A Columbus. Myers completed the MiLB season 1-15 with a 7.82 ERA bouncing between 3 organizations.

This upcoming low season there will have to be nowhere close to the similar turnover as remaining yr most commonly because of the truth that a variety of gamers that had to be safe from the Draft have already been added to the 40-man all over the season.

Those gamers that may have had to coverage come with Will Brennan, Bo Naylor, Xzavion Curry and Hunter Gaddis who all made their MLB debuts this yr.

My present considering is the group would possibly give protection to simply two or 3 gamers possibly 4 max from the record I’ve put in combination within the graphic beneath with best two being 100% locks.

100% – INF Angel Martinez

The 20-year-old transfer hitting infield prospect Angel Martinez is the son of former giant league catcher Sandy Martinez. He signed with Cleveland as an International Free Agent July second, 2018, out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Angel had an excellent 2022 marketing campaign over two ranges beginning the season at High-A Lake County and completing yr with Double-A Akron.

Martinez hit .278 with 40 more base hits together with 13 house runs over simply 101 video games between each golf equipment whilst posting an excellent .849 OPS and 135 wRC+ at the yr.

Martinez has a complicated method for his younger age. He has excellent bat pace to head in conjunction with a legitimate stroke from every aspect of the plate. He has a excellent eye and acknowledges pitches smartly. Martinez has room so as to add extra muscle and measurement to his body which in conjunction with his bat pace may just result in 15-20 plus house runs in a season.

He has common to relatively above common pace. He has a top baseball IQ that that is helping to play up his pace at the bases and within the box. Martinez has the danger to stay at shortstop due to his sturdy arm and fast arms however can care for 3rd and moment base as smartly.

100% – LHP Joey Cantillo

The 22-year-old LHP prospect Joey Cantillo came to visit to Cleveland within the Mike Clevinger industry with the Padres again on August thirty first, 2020.

Cantillo had somewhat of a misplaced season in 2021 after he suffered an belly harm in spring coaching. He ended up no longer pitching in sport motion till the top of August, best throwing 13.0 innings out of the bullpen between the Arizona Complex League and Akron.

Cantillo got here into the 2022 season wholesome and again in his same old position as a starter showing in 14 video games for Double-A Akron. Unfortunately had his season come to an finish early with a left shoulder soreness

It’s what he did in the ones 14 Double-A video games that experience him as a lock for me. Cantillo posted a miniscule 1.93 ERA over 60.2 innings pitched together with a five-game stretch all over May when he did not permit a run over 22.0 directly innings. Over the 60.2 innings he struck out 87 batters whilst permitting simply 38 hits with warring parties hitting for a paltry .178 common towards him.

Cantillo provides a three-pitch combine in his fastball, curveball and changeup. His fastball ticked up a pair mph this yr and now sits round 90-93 mph topping out at 96. His perfect pitch is a sinking changeup this is smartly above-average and performs smartly off his fastball. His curveball has a large number of downward motion is graded out as common.

Although he isn’t overpowering, he makes use of a misleading supply, his complicated pitchability and forged command to get hitters out. The one worry with Cantillo is his talent to stick wholesome with him lacking important time during the last two seasons.

75% – RHP Peyton Battenfield

Coming into the 2022 season I used to be sure that the now 25-year-old RHP prospect Battenfield can be a lock to be added after the season. Now I’m no longer so sure after he noticed a drop in his speed and his numbers weren’t close to as dominate as he post in 2021.

Battenfield nonetheless had a forged season spending all the yr with Triple-A Columbus making 28 begins whilst posting a three.63 ERA over a farm main 153.2 innings pitched.

In 2021 Battenfield struck out 131 batters over 103.0 innings excellent for a 11.45 SO/9 inning price keeping warring parties to a .176 common whilst wearing a ludicrous 0.83 WHIP.

In 2022 he completed with simply 109 strikeouts over 153.2 innings seeing his SO/9 inning price drop considerably to simply 6.38 at the season. Opponents hit .240 off him whilst his WHIP jumped as much as 1.27 at the yr.

(*5*)

Battenfield throws 4 pitches together with a fastball that has excellent vertical motion that during 2021 sat 92-94 however was once sitting at 90-93 in 2022. In 2021 his fastball was once touching 97 mph however was once topping out round 94-95 this yr. His perfect secondary pitch is a cutter that grades above common. Battenfield additionally throws a curveball and changeup which can be common pitches.

His command-and-control grade out above common as he spots his pitches particularly his fastball the place he needs within the zone. However, he noticed his BB/9 inning price bounce from 1.66 in 2021 to three.34 this season. Battenfield makes use of all of his pitches smartly they usually paintings smartly in combination preserving hitters guessing and rancid steadiness.

With the intensity in pitching the Guardians have I’m simply no longer offered the group is going all in with Battenfield who is perfect characteristic this yr was once most commonly his general talent to consume innings as a workhorse for Columbus.

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50% – RHP Ethan Hankins

The 22-year-old RHP Ethan Hankins was once drafted thirty fifth general through Cleveland in 2018. He fell within the draft after lacking a month all over his senior yr in highschool with shoulder tightness. At the time he was once being seen as a conceivable No. 1 general pick out.

Hankins entering 2022 had best thrown 63.0 skilled innings all coming all over the 2018-19 seasons. He neglected the 2020 season because of the pandemic however was once decided on to coach on the crew’s selection website online all over the shortened MLB season.

During 2021 spring coaching Hankins injured his elbow and underwent TJ surgical procedure in May of that yr. He made his go back in 2022 showing in only one rehab sport on August 1st throwing a scoreless inning within the Arizona Complex League hanging out one batter with out permitting successful or stroll.

Hankins arsenal pre-Tommy John surgical procedure integrated a fastball that has sinking motion with a large number of run it sits round 92-96 mph and peaks at 98. His second-best pitch is an above common changeup that runs and sinks like his fastball. He additionally provides a curveball and slider which want persisted building however display promise to be plus pitches

He did struggles now and then along with his command because of the super motion he creates on his pitches. If his command is on, he can also be unhittable now and then. Hankins management is common however does not get him in to hassle too regularly.

Hankins is in this record one as a result of his draft pedigree and his pre-surgery projection in addition to if 100% wholesome his general stuff is a few of perfect in minor league baseball. The Guardians may just chance no longer including him as a result of his inexperience and neglected time taking a possibility no one will make a selection him.

However, that hasn’t stopped them from including top affect palms during the last couple seasons with little to no enjoy above A-ball in pitchers Carlos Vargas and Jean Carlos Mejia.

50% INF Gabriel Rodriguez

The 22-year-old INF prospect Gabriel Rodriguez signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for $2.1 million, which stays a franchise document for a global place participant. He struggled on the plate in 2021 in his first yr of full-season ball with Low-A Lynchburg as some of the youngest gamers within the league.

In 2022 Rodriguez truly started to turn his possible on the plate whilst he was once once more all over again some of the more youthful gamers to start out the season on the High-A degree with Lake County.

Rodriguez with the Captains gathered 26 extra-base hits together with 9 house runs whilst hitting .272 with a 112 wRC+ and a .759 OPS over 94 video games performed.

Unfortunately for Rodriguez suffered an harm on the finish of the season and underwent surgical procedure to fix a torn labrum in his correct shoulder on September 14th. There is a superb probability he will not be in a position in time for the beginning of spring coaching or the beginning of the 2023 season.

Rodriguez has a compact right-handed stroke and can use all the box. Although he best hit 9 house runs in 2022, he has the body to proceed so as to add power and along with his hitting talent and bat pace he will have to display extra energy possible on the plate.

He has best common pace however has nice frame management and an above-average arm whilst he can play shortstop or even moment base, he spent the vast majority of his time at 3rd base in 2022.

Though he will not be decided on within the draft purely on efficiency on my own he does have the pedigree of a best world signal which the group invested $2.1MM in and performs a top class place at 3rd base. The different reason why the Guardians would possibly need to upload him is a crew would possibly attempt to stash him on their 60-day injured record subsequent yr just like the Orioles did after they decided on Anthony Santander from Cleveland within the 2016 Rule 5 Draft.

25% – Others

Finally, I’ll go away you with a listing of a few different fascinating and gifted possibilities that I think have a 25% probability or much less to be added to the Guardians 40-man roster, however I truly would hate for the group to lose.

RHP Nic Enright
RHP Nick Mikolajchak
RHP Lenny Torres
LHP Tim Herrin
LHP Andrew Misiaszek
C/1B/3B David Fry
1B/OF Micah Pries
OF Alexfri Planez
OF Johnathan Rodriguez

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