Daniel

Espino

That home run was the first run Espino has allowed this season. He also has a 6/2 K/BB ratio in 5 2/3 innings. What’s more impressive is that the 25-year-old was regularly hitting 99-100 mph on his four-seam fastball despite coming back from two shoulder surgeries. Espino has pitched just 6 1/3 innings since 2022, so at this point, just seeing him on the mound regularly is great. The Guardians could decide to call him up as a reliever at some point this season.

Espino impressed during Cactus League play, but there was never going to be a spot available for him in the Guardians’ Opening Day rotation barring injury. He’ll work out of the rotation at Triple-A Columbus to start the season and should be one of the first names to get the call when someone hits the injured list or the Guardians need a spot starter.

Espino averaged 96.7 mph with the eight fastballs he threw today. Shoulder issues cost Espino almost the entirely of the last four years, but his stuff remains impressive. If he can stay healthy, he should make his major league debut at some point in 2026.

Espino touched 98 mph while not allowing a baserunner. The 25-year-old is not far removed from being one of the very best pitching prospects in baseball, but essentially missed three full seasons due to injuries. There’s significant risk in Espino’s profile, but Sunday was a reminder of the potential reward.

It’s been a long road back for Espino, who has barely pitched over the last four years due to persistent shoulder issues. The hard-throwing 24-year-old was arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball back in 2022 before injuries derailed his development. He returned to minor league game action in late September and will make up for lost time in the fall circuit. It’s challenging to forecast his future given the extended layoff, but his stuff has looked formidable in the brief glimpses we’ve gotten lately. He averaged 96.9 mph on his four-seam fastball in his AFL debut and generated five swinging strikes on 16 pitches. He’s a fascinating pitching prospect to monitor heading into next season.

One of the top pitching prospects in baseball entering the 2022 campaign, Espino returns to minor league game action for the first time since April 29, 2022. The hard-throwing 24-year-old, who has reportedly been touching triple digits in recent bullpen sessions, is poised to pitch in the upcoming Arizona Fall League to make up for lost development time. He’s missed nearly an entire presidential term due to shoulder issues. He’ll be one of the most fascinating prospects to watch over the next few months to see if the stuff returns to pre-injury levels.

Espino, who has thrown 18 1/3 innings combined over the last four minor-league seasons, and hasn’t pitched in a game situation since the 2022 campaign, is headed to the annual finishing school. The 24-year-old righty was considered one of the top prospects in baseball heading into the 2023 season before his promising career was derailed by shoulder issues. He’s a fascinating name to watch this fall.

Enright is dealing with a lat strain, and is a candidate to open the year on the 60-day injured list. Espino is one of the most talented young pitchers in baseball, but hasn’t been able to pitch since 2022 because of injuries. DeLauter is one of the top hitting prospects in the Cleveland system and stands a good chance of making his MLB debut before 2025 comes to a close.

The Guardians say he’s on a 16 to 18-month timeline, which would mean he still has roughly five to seven months to go. One of the game’s most talented pitching prospects, Espino last saw game action in April 2022. He’s pitched a total of 134 innings since he was taken in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

It’s yet another brutal blow to one of the best pitching prospects in the minors as Espino has missed the majority of the last two seasons due to persistent shoulder issues. Before getting hurt in 2022, Espino posted a sparkling 2.45 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 35/4 K/BB ratio across 18 1/3 innings (four starts) for Double-A Akron. Then just 22 years old, he was seen as a future front-of-the-rotation starter in Cleveland, but his development will now be stalled by yet another missed season. At this point it’s fair to wonder if his career will ever get back on track.