Guardians Baseball Insider

Image: Lincoln Horsley

Scoreboard

Triple-A: Columbus Clippers 10, Louisville Bats 3
DSL: Blue 10, Red 4

Highlights

Will Benson (LF, Columbus): 2-4, 2B, HR, BB, K 2 RBi – Here’s your typical good game for Benson. A pair of extra base hits, a walk and a strikeout. Will his three-true-outcome offense and plus defense in the outfield be enough to find his way onto the 40 man roster or someone’s 26 man roster in 2022?

Richie Palacios (2B, Columbus): 2-3, 2R, RBI, 2BB – Palacios has been an on-base machine, living up to what he did in his reputation at Towson, and now he did it after missing essentially two full years and ascended to the highest level of the minors. He’ll be on someone’s roster next year, maybe Cleveland’s 40 or someone else’s 40/26, but who knows where.

Ercik Caripa (CF, Blue): 2-3, 3R, HR,RBi 2BB – The third homer of the year for the 18 year old.

Best of the rest

Steven Kwan (CF, Columbus): 2-4, R, BB – He’ll only finish the season with 300 at bats, but Kwan’s 2021 season was a big breakout. He’s a future major league player of some role. You’d like to see him run more, but the addition of the pop to his game is what makes him even more valuable.

Oscar Gonzalez (DH, Columbus): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K – Gonzalez walked! He also struck out twice. he also delivered an extra base hit. It’s been a fine season for Gonzalez, who is set to his minor league free agency after today, unless Cleveland adds him to its 40 man roster or strikes a new deal with him.

Andruw Monastero (3B, Columbus): 2-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI – Cleveland signed Monasterio to a minor league deal last winter after he hit minor league free agency. This year he’s hit and played defense like a future MLB utility player. He’s going to find a role somewhere too. Does he fit in Cleveland at this point with all of the other infielders on the 40?

Daniel Johnson (RF, Columbus): 1-4, 2R, HR, RBI, BB, K – It has to be frustrating for Johnson to end the 2021 season in Triple-A while there’s no reason he couldn’t be getting at bats over Oscar Mercado and Bradley Zimmer at the major league level. He has an option year left in 2022, so Cleveland may bring him back just for the flexibility at that point, but his role in 0221 seems to sort of cement how Cleveland thinks of him as part of their future.

Jesus Montilla (SS, Blue): 2-5, 2 RBI, 2K – The Caracas native didn’t hit a ton but did post a .382 OBP this year, so that’s impressive for a 17 year old.

Javier Tovar (SP, Blue): 5IP, 4H, ER, 2 K – A solid ending to the season for the 19 year old right hander.

Kevin Rivas (2B, Red): 2-4, R, 2 RBI – A .425 OBP for an 18 year old in his first year of pro ball is something to be proud of.