Here's how the Cleveland Guardians plan to use Cooper Ingle after calling up him up for his MLB debut.
Finally, after weeks of Cooper Ingle mashing off Minor League pitching, the Cleveland Guardians are giving him a shot and promoted their No. 3 overall prospect to make his MLB debut.
Again, it’s Ingle’s bat that is the most intriguing part of his game, as the 24-year-old owns a .967 OPS with an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph at Triple-A this year.
The difficult part, though, will be how Cleveland gets his bat into the lineup. Ingle is a natural catcher, but, of course, the Guardians already have three catchers on the roster with Patrick Bailey, Austin Hedges, and David Fry.
With that in mind, what will Ingle’s role be with the Guardians?
“Coop is gonna mostly play left field and DH for us,” said manager Stephen Vogt.
“I think he's always got the ability to go behind the plate. We feel like where the team needs him right now is to do that, to play left field, and to DH. So that's primarily how we're going to use him.”
Ingle is hitting fifth as Cleveland’s designated hitter in his MLB debut.
Columbus Clippers’s Cooper Ingle waits for the pitch during practice at Huntington Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesIn terms of the outfield side of things, that’s where it gets a little more complicated. After being drafted in 2023, Ingle has only played seven games in the outfield, all coming within the last few weeks.
Learning curves aren’t just a possibility for Ingle; they’re expected.
That being said, Vogt pointed out that Ingle’s willingness to change positions speaks volumes to what he’s willing to do to help the team win.
“For Cooper in particular you look back, trade for Patrick Bailey, [Ingle] is catching in Triple-A and, hitting really well, and then he's willing to move to do some outfield work to any way to get his bat in the lineup and to get an opportunity in the big leagues,” said Cleveland’s skipper.
“The selflessness, to be able to switch positions midseason, it takes a lot. It tells you a lot about the person, about the kid, that he just wants to get up here and help us win games.”
If Ingle hits the way he can, Cleveland will find a spot for him in the lineup, and he’s already shown he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help this Guardians team win.
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