Josh Hartle was arguably the best pitching prospect in the Cleveland Guardians' farm system over the last minor league season.
The Cleveland Guardians have long been known for having one of the best pitching factories in all of MLB. The organization has done a tremendous job over the last few seasons, helping top draft picks become top arms in the rotation and turn diamonds in the rough into more than serviceable arms.
The next future ace of Cleveland’s staff may already be in the Guardians system, thanks to an offseason trade the team made last December.
Josh Hartle, who spent the vast majority of the season with the Lake County Captains at High-A, was named Midwest Pitcher of the Year and an All-Star for the stats he put together during the 2025 minor league season.
The numbers speak for themselves. Hartle was incredible and has a ton of potential to develop into an elite arm.
The left-hander made 22 starts and pitched 103.1 innings with the Captains, posting a 2.32 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Hartle also did a tremendous job with his command of the strike zone, recording a punchout rate of 24% at High-A.
Hartle was eventually promoted to Double-A at the end of the season, making two starts with the Akron RubberDucks.
He did struggle a little bit during his first few starts at the next level, but finished the season with an organization-best combined 2.54 ERA.
May 25, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest pitcher Josh Hartle (23) throws a pitch in the first inning against Florida State during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images.Hartle was one of the players the Guardians received in return during the Toronto Blue Jays' three-team swap with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andres Gimenez last year.
The prospect wasn’t the headliners of the trade. That was Luis Ortiz, who is currently on paid leave while MLB conducts an investigation into the pitcher.
Who knows what Ortiz’s future holds? Maybe he’ll never throw a pitch again in MLB.
However, even if he doesn’t, the Guardians can still feel a little bit better about their trade with the Pirates, knowing they got a prospect who could end up being one of the top arms in their big-league rotation by the end of the 2026 season, or at the start of the 2027 campaign.