For the third time in six years, the Cleveland Guardians used their first round pick on a high school position player, taking catcher Ralphy Velazquez from Huntington Beach High School in California.
The last time they took a catcher in the first round in 2018, Bo Naylor, out of Canada.
Velazquez is a 6-foot-2, 210lb left handed hitter that just turned 18 back in May of 2023, and hit 23 homers in his high school career, six of them coming his senior year where he hit .402.
Dialed in and found a fit.
With the 23rd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, we have selected C Ralphy Velazquez out of Huntington Beach HS.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/tBYzLPsAyb
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 10, 2023
A decorated high school hitter, Velazquez is considered to have a strong bat to ball skills with a good eye for the strike zone with power that should translate to the pro game, winning the Perfect Game All-American High School Home Run Derb. He combines that with a strong arm behind the plate and has also played first base in his prep career.
Velazquez is new to the catcher position, but is lauded for his leadership ability and was a team captain in high school. He also has experience playing on the corner infield too before starting to catch.
Velazquez is committed to Arizona State but should be signable for the Guardians at this pick.
Huntington Beach has produced notable pro baseball players including 1B Nick Pratto (Royals), RHP Collin Balester, Howie Clark, Noah Davis and Hank Conger. Pratto and Conger are former first round picks.
Rocket hits and RBIs have been at the heart of Ralphy Velazquez's time at the National High School Invitational.@JonathanMayo has more from the @ASU_Baseball commit, who's out to prove himself in Cary: https://t.co/HofFR3GCD2 pic.twitter.com/eRbCrtbd2I
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 31, 2023
Ralphy Velazquez Profile
Position: C/1B
Age: 18
Height, weight: 6-2, 210
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
School: Huntington Beach High School, Calif.
College commitment: Arizona State
High school stats (senior year) .402 average, six homers, eight doubles, five steals
Alex Clemmy
The Guardians took left handed pitcher Alex Clemmey from Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island with their second pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, 58th overall.
Clemmey is a 6-foot-6 left hander that struck out 105 batters in 10 starts across 43 innings, posting a 0.42 ERA. He was the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year and can run his fastball up to 98-99 with high spin and pairs it with an upper-70s/low-80s high spin, vertical breaking ball and is working to develop a changeup. There are mixed reviews on Clemmey’s ability to control the ball, but there’s no question he has electric stuff for a high school left hander.
The 58th pick has an assigned slot of $1.40 million and Clemmey, who will turn 19 next week, committed to play his college baseball at Vanderbilt.
Alex Clemmey, ('23 RI)@HendrickenAth @VandyBoys commit
FB: opened 96-98 (hit 98 x5). 94-96 t97 middle, 92-94 in 5th. overpowering
BB: inconsistent out of hand but flashed +/located to both sides. Sharp break on SL. Good vert on CB
CH: 88-90. needs refinement but landed in zone pic.twitter.com/4fVCZA3jgE— Brian Recca (@brian_recca) May 18, 2023
Alex Clemmey Profile
Position: LHP
Age: 18 (July 18, 2005)
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 205
Throws: Left
School: Bishop Hendicken HS, R.I.
College commitment: Vanderbilt
High school stats (senior year): 43 innings, 105 strikeouts, 0.42 ERA (221 strikeouts in 92 between junior and senior seasons)
Andrew Walters
With their competitive balance-Round B pick, 62nd overall in the 2023 draft, Cleveland drafted right handed reliever Andrew Walters out of the University of Miami (Fla).
The Hurricanes’ reliever has a mid-90s fastball that touches 99 at times with carry up in the zone. The heater is his primary pitch but also features a mid-to-low 80s slider. Walters struck out 72 in his senior season at “The U” in 44 2/3 innings and walked just seven. He finished college with 170 strikeouts in in 102 innings through 71 relief appearances.
Walters was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round in 2022 but opted to return to college.
While he was a reliever all of college and will likely enter pro ball as a reliever, the Guardians have shown a willingness to keep options open if they feel like Walters or any other pitcher can start.
The Cleveland Guardians have selected RHP Andrew Walters (4-0, 1.21 ERA). Perhaps the best reliever in the country, Walters’ calling card is his elite, mid-to-upper 90s fastball that generates plenty of swing and miss. pic.twitter.com/RFXf4bgv3Q
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) July 10, 2023
Andrew Walters Profile
Position: RHP
Age: 22
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 224
Throws: Right
School: University of Miami (Fla.)
College stats (senior year): 72 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings, seven walks, 12 saves
The Guardians’ next pick is 93rd overall in the third round and will pick 23rd in rounds 4-20 after.
