SEATTLE — Could he be Cleveland's next baseball star?
Well, that might take some time, but the Guardians sure showed confidence in 18-year-old catcher Ralphy Velazquez by making him their first-round selection in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. The club picked the Huntington Beach High School product 23rd overall, marking the first time in three years they have taken a high school player so soon.
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Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 235 pounds, Velazquez displayed impressive power during his prep career with 23 home runs, including six in 30 games during his senior year with a .402 average. He led the Oilers to a Southern California championship in 2022 as well as a USA Baseball National High School Invitational title this past spring.
Velazquez is currently committed to play for Arizona State, so he has a potential fallback option should he and the Guards fail to reach an agreement on a contract prior to next month's deadline. The last time Cleveland failed to sign a No. 1 draft pick was 2001, when right-handed pitcher Alan Horne chose instead to go to college.
Since officially taking control of the roster in 2011, Guardians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti has turned around the team's drafting capabilities, with highly touted prospects Bo Naylor and Gavin Williams being the latest of his first-round selections to break in with Cleveland. However, of his 14 prior top picks, only one has become an All-Star to this point: Francisco Lindor, who is now with the New York Mets.
Taking place at the site of the All-Star Game in Seattle, the 20-round MLB draft runs through Tuesday, with the Guardians also selecting pitchers Alex Clemmey and Andrew Walters Sunday evening.
