Chase DeLauter isn't the only prospect in the Cleveland Guardians organization ready for the big leagues.
When you look up and down a list of the Cleveland Guardians’ top prospects, there’s clearly one that separates himself as being the most ready to play at the MLB level, and that’s Chase DeLauter.
The organization agrees with that sentiment, too, or they wouldn’t have had him make his big-league debut and play in two postseason elimination games last October.
But outside of DeLauter, who is next in line to get the call? Who is Cleveland’s most MLB-ready prospect heading into the 2026 season, not named Chase DeLauter?
Cleveland Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter’s MLB debut patch is seen on his shoulder as he warms up before Game 2 of the American League wild card series at Progressive Field, Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.There’s one player in particular who stands out, and that's Cleveland’s No. 14-ranked prospect, Juan Brito.
Let’s start with this: Brito was a serious candidate to make the Guardians’ Opening Day roster in 2025. Unfortunately, the team optioned him to Triple-A to begin the season after an uncharacteristic and unproductive spring training.
Then, misfortune struck twice: Brito suffered a thumb injury and a hamstring injury, both requiring surgery to heal. With both ailments, Brito played in only 31 minor league games and never found his way to the next level.
Still, these injuries shouldn’t take away from the player Brito is when he is on the field. For a while, the 24-year-old has long been considered one of the best hitters in Cleveland’s organization.
The 2025 season was the first year in Brito’s professional career that he finished with an OPS under .800, and with that, he still logged a .792 OPS in limited appearances.
He can hit for a little bit of power, but Brito is mostly known as a contact-hitter. During the 2024 season, Brito had a hard-hit rate of 33 percent, a strikeout rate of 16.1 percent, and a contact rate of 79 percent.
All of these numbers are signs of a player who is seeing the ball extremely well at the plate and could be in store for a promotion to the next level soon.
Yes, Brito is one of, if not the most, MLB-ready prospects in Cleveland’s organization, but that doesn’t mean he’ll start the season on the big-league roster.
There’s always a chance he’s with the club on Opening Day, but considering how much time he missed a year ago, the Guardians will likely want to find his groove in the minors before taking the jump to The Show. If Brito does start 2025 at Triple-A, it shouldn’t be long before he’s an option for Stephen Vogt.