Just Campbell is moving fast now, and the Cleveland Guardians have him one stop away from a possible MLB debut.
That kind of climb hasn’t always been the Guardians’ style. For years, they tended to take the patient route with their better prospects, sometimes holding them back longer than expected. But in 2026, Cleveland has pushed a few young players along more aggressively, and Campbell is the clearest example yet.
The right-hander opened the season at High-A Lake County and wasted little time making his case. In six starts, he put up a 2.46 ERA with 4 earned runs allowed in 15 innings, while striking out 37 percent of the hitters he faced. That was enough for Cleveland to send him to Akron.
Campbell kept rolling once he reached Double-A. After his May 3 promotion, he turned in a 2.70 ERA over 36.2 innings, with 11 earned runs allowed and a 28.9 percent strikeout rate during that brief stretch. The swing-and-miss stuff held up, and now the Guardians have moved him again, announcing on the last day of June that he is headed to Triple-A Columbus.
Two months ago, Campbell looked far from the majors. Now he’s one level away.
The reason for the quick rise goes back to the path that brought him here. Drafted 37th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Campbell has already been through elbow nerve surgery in 2023, then Tommy John and wrist surgery in 2024. When he took the ball in his first High-A game in April, it was also his professional debut.
Cleveland’s willingness to move him fast also fits the reality of its pitching situation. The Guardians have already used five starting pitchers this season, becoming the only team in MLB to do so and recently setting a franchise record in the process. That’s a useful luxury, but it also underscores how thin the depth looks behind the big-league rotation.
If the Guardians need help, the next options would likely be Logan Allen, Austin Peterson, or Yorman Gomez, in that order.
With Campbell now in Triple-A, Cleveland may have another starter who could be in position to contribute by the beginning of September.
In Other News...
Guardians Have 3 Prospects They Cannot Afford To Trade
The Guardians still control their own playoff fate despite a rough patch, which is why the trade deadline conversation around Cleveland is so tricky. The club has clear needs on offense, in the bullpen and behind the rotation, but it also has one of the deeper farm systems in the game, giving it enough prospect capital to chase help without stripping the cupboard bare.
Ralphy Velazquez, Braylon Doughty and Jace LaViolette are the names that keep coming up as the kinds of young players Cleveland should not put in play. Velazquez has shot up the prospect ladder and now sits near the top of the organizations rankings, while Doughty has impressed at High-A Lake County and continues to look like part of the next wave of pitching. LaViolette took some time to get going, but his recent progress has reminded the Guardians why his upside is still very much worth protecting. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Slide Sends A Worrying Message During Jose Ramirez Absence
The Guardians have spent the last stretch trying to stay afloat while Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez work their way back from injuries, and the effects are showing up in more than just the lineup card. Cleveland has slipped in Bleacher Reports latest power rankings, a reflection of how hard it has been to keep pace in the AL Central while key contributors are unavailable.
The standings picture has shifted quickly, too, with the club going from a half-game lead on June 13 to a one-game deficit behind the White Sox. The Twins are still hanging around as well, which makes every missed opportunity feel a little bigger for a Guardians team that needs some help, some health and a little stability before the division race gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Soon Face Their Toughest Gabriel Arias Decision Yet
Gabriel Arias keeps giving the Guardians reasons to believe in the raw ability, even if the production has been harder to pin down. In a recent game, he flashed the kind of power and defensive range that still make him such an intriguing part of Clevelands roster picture, launching a 429-foot home run and turning in a strong play at third base, the sort of reminder that the tools are very real even as the consistency at the plate remains uneven.
The bigger issue is what all of that means for his future in Cleveland, especially with Jose Ramirez working his way back from hand surgery and the roster picture set to tighten around the trade deadline. Arias has spent time at second base, shortstop and third, yet the Guardians still have not settled on where he fits best long term, which leaves his next few weeks carrying more weight than a typical hot streak or slump. [Read more 🡒]