Cooper Ingle is our No. 7 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 8?

The catcher has impressed offensively ever since being drafted. Can his defense match?

Sweet-swinging catcher Cooper Ingle is our No. 7 prospect, earning 37% of the vote on Monday in a three-way race. This is a massive rise after he wasn’t even up for consideration for top 20 voting last season.

Ingle was the Guardians’ fourth-round draft pick in 2023, selected No. 125 overall out of Clemson. While Ingle also played left field, right field and second base for the ACC powerhouse, Cleveland has kept its focus on his play behind the plate.

At the time he was drafted, scouts said Ingle was more athletic than most catchers, but lacked power, arm strength and experience at the backstop position.

Ingle played 17 games at High-A Lake County the season he was drafted, impressive with a dominant slash of .288/.464/.385, good enough for a 153 wRC+ in a small sample size.

He began the 2024 season by repeating at Lake County, where he blossomed. Ingle proved scouts wrong about his power, blasting nine home runs over 68 games, nearly doubling his 2023 ISO from .096 to .187. His contact skills improved as well, slashing .313/.433/.500 with a ridiculous 170 wRC+. He was so impressive that he was named the Midwest League’s MVP while playing just 68 games before being promoted to Double-A.

Upon arriving in Double-A, Ingle’s offense continued to impress, slashing .381/.379/.416 over the season’s final 25 games. He also was interviewed by yours truly, where he discussed building relationships with pitchers, picking Austin Hedges’ brain and much more.

At the end of the 2024 season, Ingle had one of the top wRC+ of any minor league hitter (160) who had more than 300 plate appearances.

He could begin 2024 repeating at Double-A, but if his bat continues to play and his defense keeps improving, it’s going to be difficult to keep him there.

Joey Cantillo, LHP (Age 25)

2024 (AAA): 9 GS, 38.1 IP, 3.29 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 29.8 K%, 14.6 BB%
2024 (MLB): 8 GS, 38.2 IP, 4.89 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 27.0 K%, 9.2 BB%

The final piece of the Mike Clevinger trade made his pro debut in 2024 and showcased flashes of brilliance while still needed work in some areas. Possible 2025 rotation member.

Braylon Doughty, RHP (Age 19)

2024: ——

Cleveland’s competitive balance pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, selected at No. 36 overall out of high school with a $2.57 million signing bonus. Touches 97 mph already with his fastball.

Daniel Espino, RHP (Age 24)

2024: ——

Cleveland’s 2019 first round pick, once compared to Jacob DeGrom and Gerrit Cole, has struggled to stay healthy and has not pitched since 2022 due to shoulder surgeries.

C.J. Kayfus, 1B/OF (Age 23)

2024 (A+): 183 PA, .338/.437/.578, 7 HR, 4 SB, 12.6 BB%, 18.3 K%, 188 wRC+
2024 (AA): 298 PA, .263/.366/.470, 10 HR, 1 SB, 12.1 BB%, 28.3 K%, 139 wRC+

Has consistently destroyed baseballs at every level he’s played thus far in Cleveland’s system, showcasing improved power and a decent eye at the plate as well. The rise in K's at Double-A gives some room for pause but he is still young and developing.

Parker Messick, LHP (Age 24)

2024 (A+): 13 GS, 68.0 IP, 3.57 ERA, 3.38 FIP, 32.3 K%, 8.0 BB%
2024 (AA): 13 GS, 65.2 IP, 2.06 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 30.2 K%, 8.0 BB%

Cleveland’s second round pick in 2022 impressed at Lake County in 2024 and then absolutely blew everyone away at Double-A Akron for the second half of the season.

Austin Peterson, RHP (Age 25)

2024 (A+): 14 GS, 85 IP, 2.44 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 27.1 K%, 1.9 BB%
2024 (AA): 13 GS, 75 IP, 2.88 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 25.1 K%, 5.2 BB%

Peterson broke out as one of the top performing pitchers in the Guardians MiLB organization in 2024 with consistent and elite dominance at both High-A and Double-A.

Johnathan Rodriguez, RF (Age 25)

2024 (AAA) 508 PA, .301/.390/.540, 29 HR, 8 SB, 12.6 BB%, 25.2 K%, 140 wRC+
2024 (MLB): 40 PA, .129/.325/.161, 0 HR, 0 SB, 22.5 BB%, 35.0 K%, 63 wRC+

Absolutely blistered Triple-A pitching in 2024, earning a couple brief opportunities with Cleveland. Will need to prove he’s not a Quad-A player this year.

Ralphy Velazquez, 1B (Age 19)

2024 (A) 373 PA, .243/.362/.414, 10 HR, 8 SB, 15.0 BB%, 20.1 K%, 131 wRC+
2024 (A+): 80 PA, .176/.275/.250, 1 HR, 0 SB, 12.5 BB%, 25.0 K%, 54 wRC+

Guardians 2023 1st round pick. Impressed as one of the youngest players at Single-A and represented Cleveland in the 2024 Futures Game, showcasing prodigious power.

Andrew Walters, RHP (Age 24)

2024 (AA): 17 G, 20.0 IP, 1.35 ERA, 1.73 FIP, 46.3 K%, 9.8 BB%
2024 (AAA): 33 G, 30.1 IP, 2.97 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 31.8 K%, 13.2 BB%
2024 (MLB): 9 G, 8.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 18.8 K%, 15.6 BB%

Advanced all the way to Cleveland in his debut season and even earned valuable bullpen innings on the postseason roster. Will be a staple of the Guardians’ 2025 relief corps.

Matt Wilkinson, RHP (Age 22)

2024 (A): 8 GS, 40.1 IP, 1.12 ERA, 1.45 FIP, 48.0 K%, 6.1 BB%
2024 (A+): 16 GS, 78.1 IP, 2.30 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 32.7 K%, 8.9 BB%

“Tugboat” set the MiLB world on fire in 2024 with one of the best nicknames in sports and one of the best seasons of any pitching prospect, finishing second in MiLB in strikeouts.