The Cleveland Guardians have built one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, and their pipeline of young talent just keeps producing. Not every prospect is going to crack the big-league roster right away - there simply aren’t enough spots - but that doesn’t mean they’re not making noise elsewhere. Case in point: 20-year-old outfield prospect Jaison Chourio, who’s been turning heads this winter in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP).
Chourio, a switch-hitting center fielder, has been on an absolute tear with Águilas del Zulia. In his most recent outing, he reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double, an RBI, and a pair of walks. That performance included a smooth opposite-field RBI single in the third inning - the kind of plate discipline and approach you love to see from a young hitter still rounding out his game.
But that wasn’t just a one-off. Over his last two games, Chourio has gone 7-for-9 with four runs scored, two doubles, a triple, eight RBI, and two walks.
That’s a .778 batting average over that stretch, and he’s now hitting .327 on the season with an .838 OPS. Those are loud numbers, especially in a league filled with seasoned professionals.
What stands out most about Chourio isn’t just the production - it’s the polish. At 20 years old, he’s showing a mature approach at the plate, working counts, using the whole field, and flashing gap-to-gap power. Add in his athleticism and ability to switch-hit, and you start to see why the Guardians are so high on him.
Of course, getting to Cleveland’s outfield is no easy task right now. There’s a bit of a logjam, with several young outfielders already vying for playing time under new manager Stephen Vogt.
But Chourio’s performance this winter is the kind of thing that forces conversations in front offices. When a prospect keeps producing like this - against quality competition, no less - it becomes harder to keep him out of the picture.
He’s not there yet, but he’s knocking on the door. And if he keeps this up, spring training could get very interesting.