Juneiker Caceres has a ton of potential, but is it enough to break out in the Cleveland Guardians' organization in 2026?
Even though the Cleveland Guardians have a number of highly touted and talented prospects in their farm system, they also have several players throughout the organization who are primed for a big minor league season and to improve their stock.
One of those players is Juneiker Caceres, who was recently named Cleveland’s prospect breakout candidate by MLB.com analysts Jesse Borek, Sam Dykstra, and Ben Weinrib.
“Caceres isn't overly physical and will likely be a corner outfielder long term, but his best tool is the most important one (hit). The Venezuela native's uncanny knack for finding the barrel is made even better by his propensity for putting the ball in the air, which should enable him to maximize his power, especially if he's able to pull the ball more,” wrote the trio of analysts.
“After thriving at two Rookie-ball levels, Caceres made it to Single-A as a 17-year-old and held his own with a 103 wRC+, and he'll be one of the youngest players at the level again in 2026.”
Apr 15, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A detail of the uniform of Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesThe Guardians originally signed Caceres out of Venezuela in January of 2024. He played rookie ball that summer and started in the Arizona Complex League in 2025. It wasn’t until July 28 of last year that Caceres was assigned to the Lynchburg Hillcats (Single-A).
Even though the prospect lit it up in rookie ball, it still took him a while to truly get his footing after his promotion to Single-A.
Caceres played 30 games of affiliate ball in 2025 and faced some ups and downs. He definitely has the potential to break out next season, but in order for him to do that, the 17-year-old must develop some more pop to his swing.
Caceres only had a slugging percentage of .345 and an OPS of .676 with eight doubles and one home run with the Hillcats. Overall, these numbers aren’t bad considering how young Caceres still is, but they also don’t signal a prospect on the verge of a massive season.
The Guardians should be thrilled about the direction of Caceres’ development, but they shouldn’t be surprised if it still takes him a few years to truly break out, as the analysts suggest could happen next season.