10 Guardians prospects on 40-man roster (and 4 who aren't) who could make an impact in '23

Around this time a year ago, the baseball world was shut down and the Guardians had 14 players on their 40-man roster who hadn't yet made their major league debut. Once the league was open for business again, nine of those 14 eventually received the call-up to Cleveland, along with eight others who got their first taste of the majors.

Those 17 MLB debuts tied a franchise single-season record that dated back more than 100 years. And yet, it all came together beautifully for the Guardians, who raced to 92 wins and the American League Central title on the back of the youngest roster in baseball.

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Not much has changed on that front. Josh Bell and Mike Zunino were brought in as free agent signees to fill needs at catcher and first base/designated hitter, but the vast majority of the 2022 club returns in 2023. And although it's unlikely the Guardians match their 17 MLB debuts in 2023, there are a number of prospects on the 40-man roster — and a few not yet added — who could make an impact as Cleveland tries to repeat in the Central in 2023 and make a deeper run into October.

Here's a look at the next 14 prospects to watch (or younger players primed to carve out more of a role) in 2023. All prospect rankings are via MLB Pipeline.

Bo Naylor (No. 5 Guardians prospect, No. 75 overall)

Naylor was called up right at the end of the 2022 regular season and was a member of the Guardians' playoff roster, as he offered a much more offense-centric profile compared to that of Austin Hedges and Luke Maile. The club has since moved on from Hedges and Maile and brought in Zunino, who figures to see the bulk of the catching duties — at least to start the season.

President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti recently indicated that Zunino seeing the majority of reps at catcher is the intention. Zunino, a former All-Star, has a 30-plus-homer season under his belt but is returning from thoracic outlet syndrome-related surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

Long term, the position will be Naylor's to take eventually. But as for 2023, Naylor's playing time will depend both on how he and Zunino are performing. If Zunino struggles, either at the plate or in his ability to stay on the field, Naylor could see a much larger role after putting together a rare 20-homer, 20-steals season in the minors last year.

Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias (No. 9 Guardians prospect)

Freeman exceeded his rookie status limits last year, so calling him a prospect is taking some liberty, but he's on this list as a 23-year-old infielder who is likely to see a larger role in 2023. He received 86 plate appearances in 2022, acting as utility infielder, and should easily exceed that number this season with both Owen Miller and Ernie Clement gone. Those two combined for 622 PAs last season.

A former No. 1-ranked prospect in the organization, Freeman doesn't have a path to regular at-bats as long as Amed Rosario remains as the starting shortstop, but his ability as a hitter will garner him a semi-regular role whenever needed off the bench.

Arias is in a similar position after receiving 57 PAs in 2022. He's aided by his ability to play first base, which would be a valuable asset should Josh Bell or Josh Naylor go down with an injury, or if Naylor sees more time in right field. Both Arias and Freeman have a clearer path to at least a bench role with the roster somewhat cleaned out, and neither has much to prove in the minors.

Brayan Rocchio, middle infielder (No. 4 Guardians prospect, No. 69 overall)

Oh, look, another talented Guardians prospect who primarily plays up the middle? You don't say.

Rocchio is part of the logjam the Guardians have among their highly-thought-of middle infield prospects, and he perhaps has the highest ceiling of them all (especially if Andres Gimenez and Freeman no longer count).

He logged 137 at-bats in Triple-A last season and will certainly start the year in Columbus. If Rosario remains with the Guardians for the entire 2023 season, Rocchio could be one of the players who challenge for the position in the spring of 2024 (either shortstop or second base, if Gimenez moves over). Or, he could possibly play his way onto the roster in some capacity later this summer, particularly as the Guardians have shown a willingness to roster younger (even by their standards) prospects for the playoffs.

Jose Tena is another name to potentially watch for 2023, as he, too, is already on the 40-man roster.

Will Brennan (No. 19 Guardians prospect) and Will Benson

Brennan made the Guardians' playoff roster as an outfielder who can hit right-handed pitching well. He could see plenty of time in the lineup in that role, especially so if Oscar Gonzalez or Myles Straw struggle at some point.

Gonzalez made his mark felt in 2022, which included the highlight of the Guardians' season with a walk-off home run to send the Tampa Bay Rays home in the 15th inning of Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. He also has an aggressive approach — though one the Guardians haven't wanted him to shy away from — and pitchers will adjust in 2023, so it remains to be seen how he puts together a full year in the majors.

Straw struggled mightily for most of the season at the plate, though he provided elite defense in center field in the meantime. He came around offensively in September, and the new rules being implemented in 2023 should benefit him on the base paths and give him even more value. But if he were to struggle, Brennan could form somewhat of a natural platoon.

The same goes for Benson, a former first-round pick by the Guardians who needed time to reach the majors. He'll need to play his way into a larger role after hitting .182 in 61 plate appearances, but he could also see additional playing time in the event of Straw and/or Gonzalez faltering. When Straw was given a few days of rest from the lineup, it was Benson who started in place of him in center field. There's a lot the Guardians like with his 6-5, 230-pound frame and ability to play all three spots in the outfield. He'll just have to put it all together.

George Valera, outfielder (No. 2 Guardians prospect, No. 31 overall)

Valera has been on a collision course to make a significant impact in the Guardians outfield for quite some time, and it's possible that could arrive later on in 2023. Valera reached the Triple-A level in 2022, logging 154 at-bats. If he's playing well by mid-summer, it might be difficult to keep him off the major league roster to close out the season, even if Gonzalez, Naylor and Co. are playing well. Valera has been one of the club's top-ranked prospects for several years and has been climbing the league-wide top-100.

If it doesn't work out that way, barring something unforeseen Valera will be a candidate to play a major role for the Guardians in 2024.

There was a time when the Guardians outfield resembled more of a turnstiles of question marks. Now, Steven Kwan, Straw and Gonzalez are promising strongholds, Brennan and Benson are vying for time off the bench and Valera is knocking on the door. The club's outfield outlook has done a total 180 in the course of a year or two.

Xzavion Curry (No. 11 Guardians prospect) and Cody Morris (No. 13 Guardians prospect)

Curry and Morris both briefly made their MLB debuts in 2022, logging 9⅓ and 23⅔ innings, respectively. The Guardians bullpen, which was one of baseball's best in 2022, likely has seven members already set in stone, but that leaves one job up for grabs. Morris or Curry could fit into that role as a multi-inning reliever, even if the club still views them as starters for the long run.

Morris put together a strong 2022 spring and seemed to be trending toward a larger opportunity before an upper back/shoulder strain derailed a major portion of his 2022 season.

Hunter Gaddis, who was one of the 17 prospects to make his debut in 2022, could also factor here.

Logan T. Allen (No. 8 Guardians prospect) and Joey Cantillo (No. 22 Guardians prospect)

The Guardians' pitching development has been the backbone of the organization for some time now, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see yet another surge of young hurlers making a quick impact.

And, yes, that's another Guardians pitcher named Logan Allen who also throws left-handed. Logan T. Allen — not the one who was involved in the 2019 Trevor Bauer trade and then designated for assignment by the club last May — pitched 59⅔ innings with Triple-A Columbus last year and, although he struggled, he'll have the chance to play his way onto the roster in 2023 (which would require a corresponding 40-man roster move).

Cantillo logged 60⅔ innings with the RubberDucks in 2022 and figures to see significant time with Triple-A Columbus in 2023. Both lefties could find roles in some capacity with the major league pitching staff later this summer if they can put together strong 2023 seasons in the minors.

Daniel Espino (No. 1 Guardians prospect, No. 15 overall), Gavin Williams (No. 3 Guardians prospect, No. 53 overall), Tanner Bibee (No. 6 Guardians prospect, No. 99 overall)

None of those three pitchers are on the 40-man roster. None have even reached Triple-A (or for two of them, Double-A). But all three are among MLB's top 100 prospects and all three are in the top six in the organization. And in that sense, all three are prospects to watch out for later on this season.

Espino is in a somewhat similar position with Valera as a prospect who figures to make a massive impact on the Guardians at some point — the question is just whether that begins in 2023. Ranked as the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball, Espino would be further along if not for a shoulder issue that derailed much of his 2022 season in Double-A. If he's healthy, he could pitch his way onto the roster this summer. Either way, he could be a top contender for a rotation spot in 2024 and beyond.

Williams and Bibee, more so than Espino, are likely a year away from hitting the majors, but they could be on the late-2023 radar if all goes well. Neither has pitched at the Double-A level yet, but cases of Guardians pitchers skyrocketing through the minors aren't unheard of. Although both have a better chance of making an impact on the 2024 roster, their value to the organization and talent could change plans.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 14 Cleveland Guardians prospects who could break out in 2023