The Guardians always draft well, and this draft was no different with the largest bonus pool of any team this year. They nailed the first pick with what I thought was the best player in the draft, then signed him for a massive discount to boot. As has become tradition in Cleveland, they spread those savings over a slew of high school arms, ultimately handing out five different signing bonuses of $1.8 million or more. Though they grabbed two college bats with their first three picks, it was a pitching-heavy class as they took eight straight arms from there. I love this class for Cleveland and I'm excited to follow it.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-1: 2B Travis Bazzana, Oregon State {video}
Slot value: $10.57 million. Signing bonus: $8.95 million ($1.62 million below slot value).
My rank: #1. MLB Pipeline: #1. Baseball America: #2.
Holding the first pick of the draft with a massive eight figure slot value, the Guardians could do quite literally whatever they wanted with their first pick. Not only did they wind up bringing in Travis Bazzana, in my opinion the top overall prospect in this draft, they did it while giving him $300,000 less than the #2 and #3 overall picks because Bazzana specifically preferred Cleveland as a landing spot and willingly took a discount. Bazzana is a superstar. An Australian native, he thought he was headed for JuCo ball when Oregon State came calling, and since he stepped on campus he has played in 184 of the Beavers' 188 games. After a strong freshman season and an even better sophomore year, he went out and demolished the Cape Cod League to the tune of a .382/.474/.576 line and six home runs in 36 games – apparently someone forgot to tell him this was the best pitching he would ever face at the amateur level. Already considered a top-three prospect in the draft entering the 2024 season, he went out for his best season yet and hit an absurd .407/.568/.911 with 28 home runs and more than twice as many walks (76) as strikeouts (37) in 60 games. Bazzana is listed at a modest 6', 200 pounds, but that is the end of any modesty in this profile. His ultra strong forearms help him whip the bat around like a toothpick a la Gary Sheffield, which he deploys from a crouched stance with plenty of bat waggle. From there, it's a very compact, extremely explosive operation from the left side that leads to plus raw power which he tapped plenty in games, finishing second only to #3 overall pick Charlie Condon (Rockies) with his .911 slugging percentage. But for all the juice in his bat, Bazzana is even more notable for his on-base ability. He has an elite approach at the plate with a complete unwillingness to chase pitches out of the zone, leading to the second highest on-base percentage (.568, behind Condon's Georgia teammate and Mets sixth rounder Corey Collins) and the second most walks (76, behind A's fourth overall pick Nick Kurtz) in all of Division I. He also has plus pure bat to ball skills to go with that plus-plus approach, grading out to a potential 70 grade hit tool. Unsurprisingly, he never strikes out, neither in Corvallis nor on the Cape. In production terms, this likely means 20-30 home runs per season with high on-base percentages. He'll play second base in pro ball, where his plus speed, springy actions, and average arm will make him a potential above average defender. The Guardians are certainly buying his bat first and foremost, but don't let the bat-first label take away from a solid glove. On top of it all, he has been universally praised for his work ethic with an insatiable drive to learn, diving deep into the analytical side of the game and using technology to make himself a better hitter. It's not a perfect comp, but we could be looking at a career somewhat similar to Robinson Cano if Bazzana reaches his peak. He's a bit quicker and draws a few more walks, too. The Guardians had him skip over Low A and start at High A Lake County, where he slashed .238/.369/.396 with three home runs and a 31/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 27 games.
CBA-36: RHP Braylon Doughty, Chaparral HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $2.57 million. Signing bonus: $2.57 million.
My rank: #32. MLB Pipeline: #36. Baseball America: #47.
They resisted it for one pick, but here begins the Guardians' steady march through all the best high school pitching they could find. Floating an arm like Braylon Doughty into the competitive balance round is already a win, but doing so and still signing him for slot value while contending with an Oklahoma State commitment is an even bigger win. Doughty has one of the most electric arms in the prep class. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, touching 97 with high spin rates albeit with average movement. More than his velocity, he stands out most as having perhaps the best feel for spin in the prep class. His slider looks like a plus pitch with deep, late bite, and he can morph things over into a sharp, truer curveball with power and depth. Like his fastball, everything his high spin, and he can simply disassemble hitters with those two breakers. He has a changeup that is coming along nicely, though like most high school pitchers it's still in its early stages. The 6'1" righty is very balanced in his delivery, showing the ability to vary his leg kick without impacting any of his other mechanics, and that helps him pound the strike zone with above average command by prep standards. There is some moderate projection in the frame, not that he needs it when he's already touching 97, and overall it's a very well-rounded profile. You don't often see this combination of power, feel for spin, and command together. His main things to work on will be finding more life for his fastball as well as bringing his changeup along, of course while holding his command together. There is #2 starter upside here for the Southern California product.
2-48: C Jacob Cozart, North Carolina State {video}
Slot value: $1.94 million. Signing bonus: $2.05 million ($111,200 above slot value).
My rank: #52. MLB Pipeline: #42. Baseball America: #44.
It's always interesting to see how teams value college catchers, especially those with more balanced skill sets as opposed to one or two standout tools. Jacob Cozart falls into that category with a profile full of average to above average tools. Earning NC State's starting catching job as a freshman in 2022, he broke out for a big sophomore season in 2023 and elevated his stock further with strong performance with the US Collegiate National Team that summer. He entered the spring firmly in the back half of the first round conversation then proceeded to put up a First Team All-ACC junior season, though his stock slipped just a little as other catchers like Walker Janek (now Astros) and Caleb Lomavita (now Nationals) were just a bit more impressive. Cozart sets up from a wide base and creates plenty of leverage at the plate with his strong 6'3" frame, leading to above average power especially to the pull side. He's a reasonably patient hitter who walked at a very high clip in 2024, nearly doubling his walk rate to 18.6% from 10.5% a year ago, showing a strong ability to control the zone that typically comes with advanced catchers. He did swing and miss much more than evaluators were hoping for in 2024, nearing a 30% whiff rate, and his numbers were much better against his non-conference schedule than against strong pitching in ACC conference play (.250/.357/.417). That's certainly a concern going forward, though his ability to stick behind the plate certainly helps a lot. Despite his big, physical frame, he's very flexible behind the plate with the ability to get down and set a low target for pitchers, helping him steal strikes. While Cozart's pure arm strength is closer to average than plus, but he's quick out of the crouch and shows enough accuracy to label the overall throwing ability at least above average. The High Point native's overall feel for catching is better than his pure physical tools, and that gives him a shot to be an above average defensive catcher at the big league level. Overall, we can expect perhaps 15-20 home runs per season with decent on-base percentages, which likely puts him closer to the bottom of a competitive lineup than the top, but true everyday catchers are hard to find and Cozart could be that. As with Travis Bazzana, the Guardians skipped him over Low A and sent him straight to High A Lake County, where he struggled to a .119/.245/.143 line and an 18/7 strikeout to walk ratio over thirteen games.
3-84: RHP Joey Oakie, Ankeny Centennial HS [IA] {video}
Slot value: $906,800. Signing bonus: $2 million ($1.09 million above slot value).
My rank: #42. MLB Pipeline: #46. Baseball America: #49.
Cleveland's next prep arm is their second largest over slot signing of the draft, going more than a million dollars over slot value to coax Joey Oakie away from an Iowa commitment. His $2 million bonus was just over the slot value of the #47 pick here at #84, and he gives Cleveland a really fun arm to work with. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96, but it plays above its velocity with a ton of run and sink from a low slot. His sweeping slider is his best pitch for now, a plus breaker diving across the plate with an excellent combination of power and depth. With further refinement, it could be a plus-plus pitch that makes major league hitters look silly on a regular basis. As with Braylon Doughty, his changeup is behind, but he's flashed some really good ones that make you think it could be an above average pitch in time with more consistency and refinement. It's not a traditional look from Oakie, who utilizes long arm action and a low three quarters slot to sling the ball towards the plate with a flat approach angle that creates and east-west movement profile for his stuff. That arm action can impact his command when he yanks too much across his body, though his misses typically aren't too major and he stays around the zone. The 6'3" righty is plenty physical right now and shows strong athleticism on the mound, getting down the mound well and portending to future average command combined with durability. I'm really interested to see what the Guardians do with him and if they can make him a #2 or #3 starter in the long run. And lastly, I'll add that Joey Oakie is an elite baseball name.
4-113: LHP Rafe Schlesinger, Miami {video}
Slot value: $643,500. Signing bonus: $446,900 ($196,600 below slot value).
My rank: #114. MLB Pipeline: #147. Baseball America: #148.
Back to the college ranks, Rafe Schlesinger is a really interesting prospect, especially for nearly $200,000 below slot value. A Long Island native, he has channeled Tourette Syndrome to become a legitimate pro pitching prospect. He struggled with command early in his Miami career and spent his first two years in the bullpen, running a 14.3% walk rate in the process, then jumped to the Hurricanes' rotation in 2024 and slashed that walk rate to just 6.7%. A true sidearmer, his fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97, playing up further with nasty running and sinking life from an ultra low release point barely four feet off the ground. For context, that's about two feet lower than a typical release point with about double the running life. He leans heavily on his slider, which flashes plus when located with late sweep, but which has been very inconsistent to this point. He does not use his changeup much and it's a fringy offering at this point. Schlesinger did not always have his best stuff in 2024, at times seeing his fastball dip below 90 as he more than doubled his career high in innings, and a sub-20% strikeout rate is a bit of a red flag. But when he's on, he's a sidearming lefty working into the mid 90's with a nasty slider, and that's a tough matchup. The 6'3" lefty is throwing a lot more strikes than he did in the past, and while his ability to hit spots can be inconsistent, he's certainly trending in the right direction. It's *probably* a fastball/slider relief profile, especially in an organization as deep as Cleveland's when it comes to pitching, but I wouldn't bet against him. If the Guardians can get him built up and performing with his best stuff more consistently while bringing the changeup along and holding the command, he could be a #3 or #4 starting pitcher. In three abbreviated starts for Low A Lynchburg, he allowed four runs across 7.1 innings while striking out eleven and walking three.
5-146: RHP Aidan Major, West Virginia {video}
Slot value: $466,900. Signing bonus: $425,000 ($41,900 below slot value).
My rank: #111. MLB Pipeline: #245. Baseball America: #108.
Aidan Major is another interesting arm for Cleveland, and another divisive one. He's gotten better and better at West Virginia, including coming out of the gate at his best in 2024 with a string of strong starts early in the season. He did fade a bit down the stretch then got Tommy John surgery after the season, so he slipped a couple rounds in the draft to the Guardians in the fifth round. Major has a low 90's fastball that tops out at 97, playing up with strong riding action from a relatively low release point. He can work it into a cutter, though it's probably just an average pitch. The slider is above average with great sweep, missing plenty of bats, while he uses his average changeup more liberally than most amateur pitchers. The 5'11" righty has a stocky frame that lacks projection, repeating his compact delivery well and showing above average command at times. That command can get streaky though, and it can frequently elude him. Last year, he ran just a 6.7% walk rate as a swingman, but it jumped to 12.0% this year as he slowed down later in the year. There are some durability concerns, especially with the elbow injury, so it remains to be seen whether he can stick in the rotation long term. The balanced four pitch mix and, at times, strong command should be enough to project him as such so long as he can stay not only healthy but at 100%. It will be interesting to see how the Guardians mess with his pitch mix and locations because that fastball/slider combination can be nasty when it's performing at its best.
7-205: RHP Cameron Sullivan, Mount Vernon HS [IN] {video}
Slot value: $279,100. Signing bonus: $525,000 ($245,900 above slot value).
My rank: #144. MLB Pipeline: #118. Baseball America: #106.
Going back to the prep ranks for their third high school arm, the Guardians nearly doubled the slot value with a late fourth round-caliber signing bonus to woo Cameron Sullivan away from a Notre Dame commitment. He garnered attention by coming out throwing harder this spring, sitting in the low to mid 90's and touching as high as 97 with his fastball nowadays with real zip on it. His slider shape can vary between being more cuttery, taking on a bullet shape, or getting sweepy, but it shows good power and looks at its best when he keeps it tight. His changeup is behind, so for now it's mostly the fastball/slider combination that gets him by. The 6'2" righty has a nice combination of physicality and projection, with a quick, whippy arm that portends to add further power across his arsenal as he gets stronger. It's an athletic operation on the mound, though he does reach back to reach his peak velocities with a higher effort delivery, and that can impact his command. There's significant reliever risk in this profile if his offspeed stuff can't get more consistent and he can't bring that command along, though the physicality, projection, and athleticism are hard to pass up for this relatively modest half a million dollar signing bonus.
9-265: RHP Sean Matson, Harvard {video}
Slot value: $195,700. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($20,700 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #290.
Last year, the Guardians used their ninth round pick on Harvard righty Jay Driver, who rewarded them with a strong season at High A Lake County this year. They did the exact same thing in 2024, grabbing Harvard righty Sean Matson in the ninth round in hopes that both can be part of the Cleveland pitching staff one day. Matson has spent most of the past three seasons in the Crimson rotation, having shined in the Cape Cod League with a 0.30 ERA and a 34/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 29.2 innings, before embarking on his best collegiate season yet in 2024. He's not overpowering, sitting around 90 as a starter and more comfortably in the low 90's in the bullpen, touching 93. The fastball plays way above its velocity though as a combination of massive riding life and excellent extension down the mound help it get on hitters much quicker than they expect and sneak by bats at a high rate. He had success with the pitch against mediocre competition in the Ivy League and he had even more success against excellent competition on the Cape. Matson's changeup is another weapon, coming in much slower than the typical changeup before tumbling off the table. His slider has been a bit less consistent, showing nasty sweep on the Cape but looking more like a fringy offering at school where it got hit more than you'd like by Ivy League hitters. He's also experimented with a curveball that he doesn't use much. The 6'2" righty has a sturdy frame and does a good job pounding the strike zone, giving him a chance to start if he can get more consistent with his breaking balls. If not, the fastball/changeup combination could be lethal in short stints with their unique movement profiles. This will be a fun one to follow, though he did turn 22 before the draft putting him on the older side for a junior.
10-295: RHP Chase Mobley, Durant HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $183,600. Signing bonus: $1.8 million ($1.62 million above slot value).
My rank: #71. MLB Pipeline: #80. Baseball America: #84.
The Guardians reached the end of day two with a ton of bonus pool money left over, so you knew a splash was coming at some point. They unloaded in the tenth round, singing yet another prep arm in Chase Mobley to a massive bonus roughly the slot value of the #51 overall pick, mid-second round, so that he shouldn't attend Florida State. Mobley has an electric right arm and has the chance to be the best prep of the class for the Guardians. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's but can reach 99 at peak with running action. His slider took a step forward in 2024 as he added power to a pitch that already had nice depth, giving it a shot to become an above average pitch in time if he can tighten it up further. Unlike the other preps in this class, Mobley has an advanced changeup that can show true off the table action when he gets it right, giving it a shot to become plus in time. His mechanics divided some evaluators, though, as his short arm circle features an elbow stab in the back as he leans back over his drive foot. From there, his arm can be a bit late going forward with a three quarters slot. The overall delivery is fairly raw, but Mobley's arm strength is so explosive that you really won't find much like it around the country in the high school ranks. The 6'5" righty is tremendously projectable and should throw with less effort as he gets stronger and works with Cleveland's development staff, with his youth (only turned 18 a month before the draft) working in his favor as well. Despite the funky arm, he does stay around the zone pretty well and could have average command with further development.
14-415: OF Ryan Cesarini, St. Joseph's {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
This is a really nice sleeper profile in the middle of day three. A fairly unheralded recruit out of the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area, he spent his freshman season at St. Joe's on the bench but once he seized playing time for the Hawks, he never let it go, slashing .387/.468/.622 with sixteen home runs and 28 stolen bases in 84 games over the past two seasons. In fact, he was at his very best right at the end of the season, because after going 0-5 in an opening round loss to VCU at the A-10 Tournament, he went 12-18 with three doubles, five home runs, and just two strikeouts over his final four games in Tysons Corner. That's a .667/.714/1.667 line if you're keeping track. Listed at 5'10", 205 pounds, Cesarini is not a big guy put backs plenty of strength and athleticism into his powderkeg frame. It's a compact left handed swing that helps him make a ton of contact against unremarkable A-10 pitching, with just a 13.1% career strikeout rate that reached a career low 11.8% in 2024. Though he only hit three home runs in his first 28 games in 2024, those five in his final four brought him to eight on the season and he shows more pop than you'd expect from a smaller guy, with impressive top-end exit velocities that help him project for potentially average power. Obviously he's untested against higher level pitching, but that's a really, really nice combination of contact and power for this part of the draft. Beyond that, Cesarini is a plus runner with a shot to stick in center field, giving him potentially average or better grades in all five tools. Honestly, this is one of my favorite under the radar picks that could seem like org depth to the naked eye. Indeed he performed very well in a small sample at Low A Lynchburg, slashing .283/.370/.543 with three stolen bases and a 10/7 strikeout to walk ratio in thirteen games.
