Cooper Ingle launches three homers at Triple-A

Ingle’s introduction to the majors in June couldn’t have gone much worse, but he ends the Triple-A season with a fantastic .297/.424/.528 line and 20 homers in 471 plate appearances. That .952 OPS leads all qualified International League hitters, Ingle did go back to catching in the minors after being looked at a left fielder and DH during his brief time in the majors. It doesn’t seem like he has a future behind the plate in Cleveland, but his bat should make him of some use next year.

Ingle went just 2-for-21 in his 24 plate appearances with the Guardians with a 12/3 K/BB ratio. He has had a solid year at Triple-A and could get another shot later in the season, but will most likely be playing for a starting job in 2027.

Playing in his fourth big-league game, Ingle forgot how many outs there were on a fly to left in the seventh and tossed the second out of the inning into the stands to give the Rangers the go-ahead run in a 2-2 game that the Guardians went on to lose 4-2. The Guardians, though, kept him in the game after the miscue. Ingle likely will take a seat Wednesday with the Guardians facing a left-hander in MacKenzie Gore.

Ingle went 0-for-2 with a walk on Friday in his major-league debut. The 24-year-old backstop figures to spend most of his time at DH for Cleveland after hitting .284/.416/.551 with 12 homers in 221 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season. The combination of catcher eligibility and over-the-fence power production give him immediate fantasy relevance in all formats. He should be one of the top waiver wire targets in FAAB leagues this weekend.

The 24-year-old Ingle will finally get a look after hitting .284/.416/.551 with 12 homers in 221 plate appearances for Columbus. The move comes eight days after he homered three times and double in a game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Ingle had only caught as a pro until recently, but he did play a fair amount of outfield at Clemson, and he’d started seven games in left for Columbus this month. The Guardians figure to use him mostly at left field and DH. He’s not a stolen base threat and he probably won’t play against lefties, limiting his fantasy upside. Still, he’s definitely worth grabbing in two-catcher leagues, and maybe worth a try in leagues that play just one.

In his minor league career, Ingle has caught 199 games and been a DH for 67 games. He has only made two starts in left field, and they have come in his last two games. That appears to be a pretty strong indicator that the Guardians are trying to see if there’s a way they can get Ingle up to help their big league lineup. The 24-year-old is slashing .300/.456/.569 in 40 games at Triple-A with nine home runs and a 37/37 K/BB ratio. Since he would likely have catcher eligibility in most fantasy leagues, his call-up would be an intriguing one.

Ingle, who’s 24 years old, has now safely reached base in all 13 games he’s played this year while slashing .357/.617/.786. He has four home runs and 12 RBI on the season with an absurd 9/18 K/BB ratio. With Bo Naylor slashing .156/.224/.244 in 49 plate appearances and playing league-average defense, you have to wonder if the Guardians would consider making a change at some point.

Rodríguez, 26, wound up playing a role during the Guardians’ magical stretch run in 2025 as a masher against left-handed pitching. He faced a crowded outfield mix this spring and wound up on the outside looking in. He should get an opportunity at some point during the first half of the 2026 campaign.

Ingle homered off of Brewers’ prospect Brett Wichrowski in the sixth inning. The 23-year-old backstop was a fourth-round pick back in 2023, but has developed into one of the best prospects in the system. It’s not out of the question that Ingle will have a role with Cleveland in 2026, and his positional value would make him someone worth monitoring in fantasy circles.