The Cleveland Guardians have built a reputation on pitching, toughness and player development. What they have not been known for, at least lately, is driving the ball out of the park.
As of Monday, Cleveland ranked 26th out of 30 teams with 84 home runs. That kind of power shortage can make life harder than it needs to be, especially for a club trying to push closer to a World Series run. Adding proven thump through the trade market would help, but that kind of upgrade usually comes at a steep price in prospects.
That’s why the Guardians’ own system matters so much. The organization has a couple of power bats on the way, and former Cleveland pitcher and current analyst Jensen Lewis pointed to two names in particular: Ralphy Velazquez and Jace LaViolette.
Lewis put the spotlight on LaViolette, Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2025.
“Guys, we have been screaming for years. Can we produce position players?
Can we develop them? When you pick at the top of the draft, you should be able to get a few of those right.
And I would say that the cavalry is coming as far as the big physical, middle-of-the-order bats. The kid Jace LaViolette, listen, I watched him at Texas A&M.
Get ready. We’re going to have some homegrown thump here pretty soon, and that’s really exciting for this fan base moving forward,” he explained.
LaViolette is not expected to be ready in 2026, and there’s a real chance he still won’t be fully developed the following year. But the raw power is already showing up.
In 63 games with High-A Lake County, he has 12 home runs and 51 RBI, though he’s also struck out at a 37.7 percent clip. That swing-and-miss is part of why his path to the majors may take some time.
There’s also the possibility that LaViolette becomes trade currency if Cleveland decides to chase an established star. For now, though, he’s one of the more intriguing names in the lower minors.
Velazquez is on a different timeline, and he may have a shot to reach the majors in 2026, though 2027 looks more realistic. His Triple-A numbers show he is still settling in, with a 105 wRC+ after posting a 160 mark in Double-A Akron.
Even so, he’s making progress in Columbus. Over his last 16 games, he’s slashing .350/.443/.467, which suggests he could help the lineup sooner than expected.
If both bats keep moving forward, Cleveland could have a very different offensive look in a year or two. The Guardians’ lineup might not be defined by light-hitting concerns for much longer.
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