Kayfus has done nothing but mash at every level he’s played thus far. Can he keep it up as he’s promoted?
Another fast riser, first baseman C.J. Kayfus is our No. 10 prospect for 2025 after being unranked in our 2024 rankings (although he got some votes for No. 20).
Kayfus was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of Miami. At the time, Kayfus was known as a contact-first first baseman who prioritized putting the ball in play over power.
That changed quickly with Cleveland. Kayfus made a solid first impression by dominating Single-A Lynchburg in a 17-game sample size the year he was drafted, slashing .271/.429/.542 with an impressive .271 ISO for a 171 wRC+.
Cleveland advanced Kayfus to High-A Lake County to begin the 2024 season and he picked up right where he left off, absolutely blistering the baseball by slashing .338/.437/.578 with 10 home runs, running a ridiculous 188 wRC+.
#Guardians 1B prospect CJ Kayfus is @StatlineScout’s #31 prospect according to Peak Projections, and projects to hit .306/.395/.526 with 22 HRs without regression. The 22 year old has drawn a StS Model comp to Yankees OF Juan Soto
Kayfus, a 2023 3rd round pick has climbed… pic.twitter.com/qdaD7vt4DT
— Owen Hurd (@Owen_FBB) June 22, 2024
After just 40 games at High-A, Cleveland had seen enough and he was promoted to Double-A Akron. Kayfus didn’t look like he was slowing down at Akron either, slashing .262/.373/.459 for a 137 wRC+ from the day he arrived June 6 to the end of July.
But for some reason, the second August arrived, he started scuffling mightily. His walk rate dropped below 10% for the first time while his strikeout rate spiked to 31.6% and he finished the final month and a half of the season with a 76 wRC+ after slashing .194/.282/.320.
If we’re lucky, the final month and a half was just a mirage due to it being his first full season in pro ball and playing longer than normal. Here’s hoping that in 2025, Kayfus looks more like the one who started the 2024 season than the one who finished it.
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.
Michael Kennedy, LHP (Age 20)
2024 (A w/ PIT): 15 GS, 73.0 IP, 4.07 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 26.6 K%, 5.3 BB%
2024 (A+ w/ PIT): 2 GS, 10.2 IP, 0.84 ERA, 1.87 FIP, 36.6 K%, 7.3 BB%
Kennedy joined the organization in the Spencer Horwitz trade(s). Thought he did not dominate at Single-A he finished strong with two great High-A starts.
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.
Joey Oakie, RHP (Age 18)
2024: ——
Cleveland’s third round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Ankeny Centennial in Iowa, Oakie stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with a mid-90s fastball and took a $2 million signing bonus.
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.
Alfonsin Rosario, OF (Age 20)
2024 (A w/ CHC): 456 PA, .230/.344/.423, 16 HR, 20 SB, 12.3 BB%, 32.2 K%, 127 wRC+
Acquired from Chicago in the Eli Morgan trade, put up impressive speed and power numbers as a 19-year-old in Single-A last season, but strikeouts could be an issue.
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.