The people have spoken and Angel Genao is our No. 5 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Genao won with a 40.1% of the vote, beating out Cooper Ingle (26.8%), Braylon Doughty (15.5%) and Khal Stephen (11.3%). He moves down one spot from No. 5 last year.
Genao received a $1.175 million signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic in Cleveland’s 2021 international class, tops in Cleveland’s class. In his debut season for the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting shortstop slashed .265/.422/.364 with an impressive 20.3% walk rate. The following season, he moved to the United States, where he dominated the Arizona Complex League to the tune of a .322/.394/.416 slash.
Genao spent his entire 2023 campaign with Lynchburg at age 19, slashing .263/.345/.385, although he missed the first two months of the season because of knee surgery. Once fully healthy in 2024, Cleveland chose to repeat him at Lynchburg and the move paid off.
Genao slashed .322/.377/.463 with a 166 wRC+ in Lynchburg, which earned him a promotion to Lake County, where he didn’t slow down, slashing .322/.377/.463 with 13 stolen bases over 66 games played, good for a 140 wRC+. He finished his season with a career-high 10 home runs, more than double his previous best of four in 2023. He has also had pretty even splits against LHP and RHP as a professional.
Genao began 2025 with an aggressive placement at Double-A Akron for his age-21 season, but he was hampered by an injury. He didn’t debut in Akron until early June due to a right shoulder sprain and it never seemed like he was able to fully put it together, finishing the year with a disappointing .263/.332/.382 slash and a ho-hum 103 wRC+ in 77 games at Akron.
Hopefully he can put the shoulder issues behind him in 2026 and get back to his dominant 2024 self.
Now, it’s time to determine who is number five in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:
Juneiker Caceres, OF (Age 18)
2025 (CPX) 160 PA, .289/.419/.469, 3 HR, 5 SB, 16.9 BB%, 11.3 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (A): 130 PA, .250/.331/.345, 1 HR, 2 SB, 6.9 BB%, 13.1 K%, 103 wRC+
Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.
Jaison Chourio, OF (Age 20)
2025 (CPX) 27 PA, .261/.370/.304, 0 HR, 1 SB, 14.8 BB%, 37.0 K%, 95 wRC+
2025 (A+): 353 PA, .235/.380/.284, 2 HR, 9 SB, 18.7 BB%, 21.8 K%, 103 wRC+
Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.
Braylon Doughty, RHP (Age 20)
2025 (A): 22 GS, 85.1 IP, 3.48 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 27.3%, 6.4%, 1.25 WHIP
Cleveland’s competitive balance first round pick in 2024, Doughty debuted in full-season ball and put up solid numbers in his age-19 season at Single-A, showcasing elite control.
Cooper Ingle, C (Age 23)
2025 (AA) 403 PA, .273/.391/.443, 9 HR, 0 SB, 16.1 BB%, 17.4 K%, 148 wRC+
2025 (AAA) 107 PA, .207/.383/.329, 1 HR, 0 SB, 19.6 BB%, 16.7K%, 105 wRC+
Ingle has shown excellent offensive tendencies for a catcher. Will his defense and power be enough to earn an opportunity in Cleveland this year?
Jace LaViolette, OF (Age 22)
2025 (NCAA) 262 PA, .258/.427/.576, 18 HR, 7 SB, 21.8 BB%, 25.2K%, 120 wRC+
Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.
Alfonsin Rosario, OF (Age 21)
2025 (A+) 354 PA, .268/.362/.490, 16 HR, 12 SB, 10.8 BB%, 25.1 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (AA): 145 PA, .211/.303/.391, 5 HR, 2 SB, 10.3 BB%, 33.1 K%, 105 wRC+
One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.
Khal Stephen, RHP (Age 23)
w/ TOR 2025 (A) 7 GS, 39.1 IP, 2.06 ERA, 1.97 FIP, 31.4 K%, 4.6 BB%, 0.92 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (A+): 9 GS, 48.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 26.6 K%, 5.4 BB%, 0.85 WHIP
w/ TOR 2025 (AA): 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 6.35 ERA, 1.88 FIP, 11.1 K%, 5.6 BB%, 1.68 WHIP
2025 (AA): 4 GS, 11.1 IP, 9.00 ERA, 9.54 FIP, 21.9 K%, 3.9 BB%, 1.50 WHIP
Acquired from Toronto in the Shane Bieber trade, Stephen rocketed through the minor league system in 2025 before hitting a wall in Double-A. He instantly became one of Cleveland’s top pitching prospects.
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