'I want a pitch to hit': Sweet-swinging prospect Hill leads next wave of Guards talent in AFL

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Luke Hill was cold, both literally and figuratively in the batter's box.

The High-A Midwest League can be relentless during the first month of the season with chillier temperatures wreaking havoc on players who spent Spring Training in the warm climates of Florida and Arizona.

An 0-for-10 spell to open the year led to a month where he hit .176 with two extra-base hits. Notoriously aggressive at the dish, Hill decided that it was time to go back to basics.

“I’ve always been a right-center type of guy and I just made a little bit of a sight change and just kind of kept my roots to who I am as a hitter,” said Hill from Fall League Media Day earlier this month. “I was like, ‘You know what? I'm going to go hit like I did in high school and just keep it simple and make this one small adjustment’ and it clicked and I haven't looked back since.”

Hill homered twice in his first May contest, going on to win the circuit’s Player of the Month Award. Tossing out his opening month, the right-handed-hitting infielder slashed .275/.391/.536 and saw 54.4 percent of hits go for extra bases the rest of the way, which included a promotion to Double-A Akron at the start of June.

The 22-year-old’s season was split right down the middle: 38 games with Lake County, 38 games with Akron with a right oblique injury forcing him to miss six games, ergo his presence as a member of the Surprise Saguaros in the AFL. But that first jump to the upper Minors is often the one that flummoxes prospects most and Hill was no exception.

After posting a 159 wRC+ for Lake County (fifth-highest among all players on the circuit with at least 160 plate appearances), that number dipped to 91 during his tenure with Akron.

“The biggest adjustment I realized was these guys, when you have a hole in your game and there's like a little bit of a cold spot and a little bit of weakness, they're going to keep jabbing at you until you fix it,” said Hill of Double-A pitching. “I was a little bit stubborn to that at first. I was like, ‘Eventually they're going to get off of it’ and they did not get off of it, so it was a little bit of a growing change. It was a little bit of competition and you don't want everything to be easy. So growing through that and just being a better person and being a better player, it was awesome.”

The oblique injury meant that Hill could only accrue 150 plate appearances for Akron but it was still a valuable learning curve. His walk rate more than halved (20.7 percent at High-A down to 10) and he swung at 50.8 percent of all pitches, a significant jump from 41.1 percent with Lake County.

Ultimately, that aggressiveness is part of Hill’s profile. His hit tool is his highest-ranked grade (55, on the 20-80 scale), and while the Guardians have focused his reps at second and third base -- where he has already seen time for Surprise -- it’s ultimately the bat that could push the club's No. 15 prospect to Cleveland in the next few years.

“When people ask me what position I want to play, I say I don't care. I just like to hit,” said Hill. “I love swinging early. I'm up there hunting and I want a pitch to hit.”

But when it comes to those discussions, it’s been more of a collaborative process, rather than Cleveland imposing a system upon a hitter with a résumé of success.

“I'm a talker, especially when it comes to hitting,” said Hill. “I don't want to just sit there and be a brick wall, but we've been very vocal to the point where we've built trust in each other just the way that I am. … We have a good trust with my swing decisions and whatnot. I'm very confident in my abilities.”

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Those abilities led to Hill being an All-Pac-12 honorable mention for Arizona State in 2023 and second-team All-SEC performer in ‘25 for Ole Miss, playing in front of packed houses for some of college baseball’s most prestigious programs. Hill cited the day in, day out intensity as being key for pro preparation after the Guardians nabbed him in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft.

“You grow a lot and you learn about yourself,” said Hill. “I think throughout the process you start to realize that all this stuff -- the outside noise -- doesn't matter. All that matters is what's happening on the field. Realizing that it's the same game, it doesn't matter if there's 0 people or 15,000 people.

“It's a simple game of pitch and catch, hit the ball hard and just go do your thing.”

Other Guardians hitters in the AFL:

Welbyn Francisca, SS (No. 19): The switch-hitting shortstop came out of the gates swinging in the Fall League, going 5-for-5 in his first game for Surprise on Oct. 3. Cleveland’s headlining signing in the 2023 international class, Francisca struggled mightily in 2025 (.622 OPS, but did manage to steal 45 bases) before finding his level this summer, posting a career-high 19 homers and .879 OPS while spending most of the year with Lake County. Injuries to his lower back and shoulder cost him the chance to post a 20-20 campaign, and at his best, he offers some of the best raw tools in the system.

Tyresse Turner, UTIL: The 26-year-old offers a true utility player package, having appeared at five different positions (third, first and second base, left and center field) during the regular season while offering top-tier wheels (19 steals on 21 attempts) as a switch-hitter. Injuries have limited him to 252 games over the past four years but he touched Triple-A for the first time down the stretch, posting a 31.1 ft/sec sprint speed on Sept. 4, faster than any member of the Guardians’ big league club during 2026.

Guardians pitchers in the AFL:

Aaron Davenport, RHP: There were few Minor Leaguers more durable from 2022-25 than Davenport, who ranked fourth in innings pitched (497 2/3) over that span. The 26-year-old earned a non-roster invite to big league camp but found out in February that he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery. Before the injury, he was operating with a 92-93 mph fastball and extremely high-spin upper-70s curveball (3,322 max RPM) along with a sinker and changeup.

Magnus Ellerts, RHP: Working from an extreme third-base side setup, the righty creates near-elite extension coming from his 6-foot-5 frame. An 11th-round pick out of Florida Southwestern State JC in 2022, Ellerts has pitched exclusively out of the ‘pen in pro ball, compiling a career .199 average against and 13.7 K/9. His fastball has been cranked up as high as 97.7 mph during the Fall League and he also folds in a mid-80s slider that bares in on lefties and dives away from righties. Rule 5 Draft-eligible, his time with Surprise will help him make a bid for a big league job in ‘27.

Aidan Major, RHP: Major emerged as West Virginia’s Friday night starter in 2024 after spending most of his first two years as a reliever. He helped lead the club to the Men’s College World Series and Cleveland popped him in the fifth round, knowing he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery. He made his pro debut this year for Single-A Hill City but sustained a hairline orbital fracture after taking a line drive off the face during a game on May 26. Upon his return, he pushed to Lake County in August and ran reverse splits (.607 OPS vs. LHB, .905 OPS vs. RHB) while working to an overall 4.55 ERA.

Cam Schuelke, RHP: A 19th-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2024, Schuelke is arguably the most fascinating hurler in the Fall League due to his ability to switch between multiple arm slots, including a true submarine release. Maybe not surprisingly, he doesn’t light up the radar gun, operating in the mid 80s with his sinking fastball and anywhere from the upper 60s to upper 70s with his curveball and slider. After making four scoreless appearances during Cactus League play, he posted a 4.10 ERA and .216 average against across 39 outings for Lake County. He’s particularly tough on righties, who hit just .185 with a .541 OPS against him this season.

Kyle Scott, RHP: The Fall League marks Scott’s return to in-game action after being sidelined since June 2025. One of just nine players ever drafted out of Lackawanna College (Scranton, Pa.), the 5-foot-11 right-hander has kept batters off the barrel during his pro career with just nine homers allowed in 141 2/3 frames. Scott works with a true five-pitch mix -- four-seamer (94-95 mph), sinker, changeup, slider and low-to-mid 70s curveball, though his arsenal could be pared down if he sticks in a relief role.