Ralphy

Velazquez

Velazquez has been one of the biggest first-half breakout prospects in the fantasy landscape as he’s batting .269/.390/.463 with eight homers and five steals in 57 games for Single-A Lynchburg. More impressively, he’s walked 42 times and has just 56 strikeouts over 264 plate appearances. The 19-year-old phenom has transitioned from catcher to first base after being selected 23rd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, which is going to raise the offensive threshold he’ll need to clear in order to be fantasy-relevant, but he’s been extremely impressive so far at such a young age.

This saves the Guardians about $900,000 versus his slot value, which seemed like part of the plan in drafting him 23rd overall. Much of the savings went to seventh-round pick Alex Mooney, who got third-round money to forgo college. While Velazquez’s ability to catch is in question, his bat is plenty promising. He’s just 18, so it’ll be a long time before we see him in the majors.

The hard-hitting 18-year-old is a product of Huntington Beach High School in California — the same school that produced Nick Pratto and Hank Conger. He projects as a middle-of-the-order hitter that has shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields with authority. He has a strong arm and a high intellect, though there are concerns if he’s going to be able to stick behind the plate long-term. With Bo Naylor in the way at the big league level, the Guardians could decide to move him to a corner infield spot, as he has the athleticism to handle it.