Tuesday turned into a showcase of pop across the Guardians’ minor league system, with Columbus, Akron and Lake County all coming through with wins powered by home runs.
The biggest outburst came from Columbus, which rolled past St. Paul 19-3 to move to 64-54.
The Clippers piled up 19 hits and 12 walks, and the lineup kept taking turns doing damage. Ralphy Velazquez finished 2-for-4 with a homer and a walk, Kahlil Watson went 1-for-2 with a homer and three walks, and David Fry added a 2-for-5 night that included a home run and a walk.
Kyle Manzardo chipped in a 2-for-3 line with a homer, double and walk, while Milan Tolentino delivered the loudest swing of all with a grand slam and a walk. Daniel Schneeman also contributed with a 2-for-5 game that featured a double and a walk, and Cooper Ingle reached base three times on walks in a 1-for-3 effort.
Austin Peterson set the tone on the mound, giving up two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks over 5.0 innings. Trevor Stephan allowed a run before Jake Miller, Ryan Borucki and Daniel Espino each finished with a scoreless inning.
Akron’s 8-6, 10-inning win over Harrisburg had a different kind of star turn. The RubberDucks improved to 56-57, and Ryan Cesarini kept making the case that he’s the hottest player in minor league baseball.
The 2024 14th-round pick has been on a tear since his move to Double-A just over a month ago, and his numbers there are eye-opening: .386/.447/.795 with a 1.242 OPS in 22 games, plus nine home runs, seven doubles and six stolen bases, with 10 walks and 15 strikeouts. He added another homer Tuesday and finished 2-for-5.
Dean Curley, the Guardians’ 2025 second-round pick, delivered the walk-off blow in the 10th with a two-run home run and finished 2-for-3 with two walks. Aaron Walton also went deep with a three-run shot in the fifth.
Jaison Chourio went 1-for-3 with two walks and two steals, while Nolan Schubart and Bennett Thompson each doubled and walked, and Luke Hill went 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. On the mound, Rafe Schlesinger was tagged for four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings.
Jay Driver steadied things with 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings and two strikeouts, Michael Kennedy allowed one run in 3.0 innings, and Carter Rustad got the win after working the final 2.0 innings and giving up one run.
Lake County also found just enough to win, edging Wisconsin 4-3 and improving to 60-51. Cannon Peebles provided the key swing with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Jeffrey Mercedes was the only player in the lineup with multiple hits, going 2-for-4, while Juneiker Caceres drew two walks and was hit by a pitch. Welbyn Francisca walked and stole a base, and Anthony Martinez doubled and was hit by a pitch.
Jervis Alfaro started and allowed two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings, then Nelson Keljo worked 3.2 innings in piggyback duty, giving up one run on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Jogly Garcia earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Zane Petty finished it off with a scoreless ninth for his first save at High-A.
Hill City’s rally came up short in a 10-7 loss to Charleston, dropping the Howlers to 48-66. A five-run push over the final three innings wasn’t enough to erase the early hole.
Alejandro Garza had the only multi-hit game for Hill City, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Reiner Herrera continued his power surge with his sixth home run at Single-A, and Jonathan Martinez added two walks and a stolen base.
In Other News...
Guardians Power Problem Keeps One Old Trade Looking Even Worse
Power has been one of the biggest question marks around Cleveland for a while, so it is hard not to look back at the November 2021 deal that sent Junior Caminero to Tampa Bay in exchange for Tobias Myers. At the time, it was the sort of prospect-for-pitching swap front offices make all the time, but the gap between the two players has only grown since then.
Caminero has since emerged as one of the American Leagues most dangerous power bats, breaking through as a full-time major league regular in 2024 and giving the Rays the kind of middle-of-the-order threat the Guardians can only wish they had more often. Myers, meanwhile, never found much traction in Cleveland and is now in Triple-A with the Mets, which leaves this trade looking like another painful reminder of how much value can disappear when a young slugger gets dealt before the breakout arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Tough Center Field Decision Fans Can See Coming
The Guardians are staring at one of those decisions that can shape a roster for years, and it is already easy to see why center field is becoming such a focal point. Steven Kwan remains the most established name in the mix, while the organization also has a cluster of younger possibilities in Petey Halpin, Kahlil Watson, Aaron Walton and Jaison Chourio, each bringing a different blend of defense, offense and long-term appeal. For a club that has built so much around finding value before it gets expensive, this is exactly the kind of position where the front office has to balance certainty against upside.
Kwans case is the cleanest in the short term because he has already shown he can handle the job, but the larger question is how far Cleveland wants to go in trying to make him part of the future beyond that. The prospects behind him add intrigue, though none arrives with the same level of certainty, which leaves the Guardians weighing development timelines against the contract realities that usually drive these calls. Center field rarely stays quiet for long, and this is one of those situations where the answer may not be obvious until the club is forced to choose. [Read more 🡒]
Former Guardians Outfielder Just Got Another Shot To Finally Break Through
Johnathan Rodrguez is getting another chance to push his way back into the picture, this time with the Athletics, who claimed the outfielder off waivers from the Pirates and sent him to Triple-A Las Vegas. For a player who has already been designated for assignment by both the Guardians and Orioles this year, the move keeps him in the game and in front of a club that suddenly has room to look for help.
Oaklands outfield injuries could make this a more meaningful landing spot than a typical waiver stop. Rodrguez still has to do the work in Las Vegas, but the path is a little clearer now, and the next stretch could determine whether this becomes just another transaction on his resume or the opening he has been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]