Cleveland Guardians Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

With dynasty season ramping up, I figured it was time to talk about some sleepers, breakouts, and busts for each team. You can find my rankings and reports to see how I value players for your dynasty leagues, but I also feel like it’s helpful to truly identify whether I believe a player can be a breakout or not. Here is where I call my shots on players I think require a call to action in dynasty, whether it be to buy or sell that player.

While you are here, be sure to check out the updated Cleveland Guardians top prospect list, updated with new international prospects:

Cleveland Guardians Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, Busts

MLB Sleeper: Slade Cecconi, RHP, 25, 6’4”'/219

Cecconi was bad in the majors in 2024, there is no nice way to put it. Posting a 6.66 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 77 innings, all while striking out 19 percent of batters is a great way to earn a spot as a sleeper for the next season. In Triple-A, Cecconi was a different pitcher, having a 3.06 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP with a 30 percent strikeout rate in 47 innings.

An offseason trade from Arizona to Cleveland has people suddenly interested in Cecconi, as the Guardians have a good track record with arms. Also, the underlying pitch data gives some hope that Cecconi could blossom. The Guardians are planning to stretch him back out as a starter this spring.

On the surface, Cecconi’s fastball might not excite people. But sitting 95 mph and topping at 99 will play, even if it has a bit of “dead-zone” shape. Cecconi averaged 14.7 inches of IVB on his four-seam fastball from a 5’5” release height, which is pretty close to the average IVB from the release point. It also generates 14 inches of horizontal movement. Why did it get destroyed by MLB hitters? It starts with location.

The fastball does have traits that will allow it to play better, especially given the above-average extension and strike-throwing ability. He just needs to command it better in the zone.

Cecconi’s slider is his second most used pitch, and it is not all that effective at missing bats or getting chase out of the zone. Cleveland making some tweaks to it, could pay dividends. Where he could benefit though, is increased curveball and changeup usage.

The changeup sits in the low-80s, but it comes with carry and 15 inches of fade. It could benefit from more depth to it, which is something I think could happen this year. Cecconi dials his curveball all the way back to 75 mph, and it has a solid two-plane movement profile.

Having already made some mechanical tweaks from working with the Guardians pitch development staff, he could look like a slightly different arm in Spring Training. If you want to take a chance on Cecconi, you should do it soon. He has a solid chance to be an SP4-5 type, which returns nice value for your team.

MLB Breakout: Chase Delauter, OF, 23, 6’3”/235, AAA

I get it is not the Guardians’ way, but if DeLauter is healthy and has a strong spring, he stands a good chance to be on the Opening Day roster. Injuries have limited DeLauter significantly the last two years and the team is not going to waste good bullets in the minors for a bat this good.

Standing at 6’3”, DeLauter has one of the best combinations of athleticism and size in the minors. The swing takes flack from some because it is compact and has a short follow-through, but that has not affected his ability to hit for power or make consistent contact. The barrel control is elite, and the swing creates a natural loft.

If you have questions about whether DeLauter’s swing can play, look under the hood. The power is easily plus based on the average and 90th percentile exit velocities. He lifts the ball with ease and posts ideal launch angles consistently.

The contact is strong, and DeLauter posted a zone contact rate of 89 percent with an overall contact rate of 87 percent. The plate discipline is also strong, as he picks his spots well and chases just 21 percent of pitches out of the zone, putting the strike zone recognition at plus or better.

Delauter is also an above-average runner but has not been overly aggressive on the base paths. He stole one base in 2024 but also spent time hurt. While the capabilities are there, how much he will run as he progresses through the system remains to be seen.

You could argue that DeLauter is a 60 grade with his hit tool, power, and speed. When you see him play, he looks like the best player on the field. Health and lower body injuries have been a major issue. After playing just 57 games in 2023, that number dropped to 39 in 2024. A healthy 2025 should see DeLauter spend most of the season in the majors.

MLB Bust: Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/OF, 23, 6’3”/250

I apologize in advance to the all the Noel lovers out there as he has quite a big fan club, myself included. Recent reports say that Noel is set to compete with Will Brennan for the right field job out of camp. I think DeLauter could take it from both.

The power is undeniable here. In 198 trips to the plate, Noel blasted 13 home runs, which is the total number of walks he had as well. Noel slashed .218/.288/.486 with a 32 percent strikeout rate. Honestly, if Noel was not a power-only bat I might have a little more confidence here. The bat speed is elite, and Noel posted a 14.5 percent barrel rate, which is a near-elite mark.

The issues lie with his contact and approach. A 45 percent chase rate is naturally going to lead to low walk rates, and the 65 percent contact rate also leads to poor strikeout rates. With Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana set to take the first base and designated hitter roles in 2025, and an outfield that could become crowded quickly, I struggle to see a clear path for playing time for Noel.

The power is fun, but it will only take him so far.

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Sleeper: Jackson Humphries, LHP, 20, 6’1”/200, A

Humphries was young at the time of the draft in 2022 when the Guardians selected him in the eighth round and gave him an over-slot deal. After missing time in 2023, Humphries has been slow played in 2024 but has built up to throwing five innings by season’s end. The stat line won’t wow you, but Humphries threw 79 Single-A innings with a 4.56 ERA.

The fastball velocity waned as the season went on. Sitting 91-93 mph early in the year, Humphries sat 88-90 when I saw him in late July. He has topped out as high as 95 mph this year and gets good IVB from a 6’3” release height.

His best offering is a nasty curveball in the upper-70s that misses many bats. It has great depth to it and plays well from his release height. That is not to make light of his changeup, though, which may also be a plus offering. The changeup sits in the 80-82 mph range carry and 15 inches of fade. It is a funky shape, and while it does not have a ton of vertical separation from his fastball, the pitch gets late horizontal movement to create some ugly swings. It gets chased out of the zone often and has a 68 percent whiff rate against it.

Humphries just turned 20 and is tall with a projectable frame. He will need to add a couple of ticks to the fastball, but if he can sit around 93 regularly, there is a much higher floor to succeed. Strike-throwing will need to improve as it sat below average at 61.5 percent. The secondaries make Humphries an enticing prospect, though.

Cleveland Guardians Prospect Breakout: Juneiker Caceres, OF, 17, 5’10”/168, DSL

Caceres spent nearly all of the 2024 DSL season as a 16-year-old but did not perform like one. While we take DSL surface numbers with a grain of salt, Caceres put up an impressive .340/.425/.504 slash with 17 extra-base hits in 40 games. He walked more than he struck out and showed impressive traits for someone 16 at the time.

While he did not hit a home run, Caceres put up exit velocities as high as 108 mph and put the ball in the air nearly 70 percent of the time. The biggest thing for Caceres will be learning to pull the ball more often.

The contact skills are presently plus or better. Sure, it was against DSL pitching, but that does not take away from the fact that he put up contact rates that were nearly two standard deviations better than that of the players there, and he did it at 16. Caceres’s chase rates were closer to average, but he still showed good pitch recognition and walked more often than he struck out.

Caceres looks relatively filled out for his frame, but given his age, he could still add a few inches. The profile also shows solid speed. Caceres was one of the more underrated hitters in the DSL and could be a player who flies up rankings upon coming stateside.