MLB's No. 32 prospect Velazquez delivers Minors' first 15-HR month in more than 5 years!
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The dog days of August have been anything but for Ralphy Velazquez, who is in the midst of the best single-month power surge by a Minor Leaguer in over five years.
Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect hammered his 15th roundtripper in August as part of a three-hit, three-RBI night that powered Triple-A Columbus past Indianapolis, 6-3, on Friday night at Victory Field.
Taylor Motter, who spent parts of six seasons in the Majors with seven different teams and last played in 2023, went deep 15 times in July 2021 for Triple-A Albuquerque. The last time a Minor Leaguer homered more than 15 times in a given month was when Darin Ruf went deep 20 times for Double-A Reading in August 2012.
Reaching double digits in dingers over an entire month would qualify as an extraordinary stretch for any hitter. Velazquez, however, has taken that standard and obliterated it as the final stretch of the 2026 campaign comes into view.
As he has done so often this month, Velazquez supplied the power immediately, launching his 28th homer of the year -- 21st for the Clippers -- 107.1 mph and 402 feet for a three-run jack in the opening frame.
It was the first time he had reached the seats since his three-homer eruption on Aug. 22. Four games without a home run rarely merits comment for a slugger, but that's actually the longest stretch this month Velazquez had gone with a tater.
Velazquez’s game-changing power has been his calling card, but his torrid month has rapidly transformed him from one of the Guardians’ best prospects into one of the most dangerous hitters anywhere in the Minor Leagues.
What makes the 21-year-old’s August particularly remarkable is how consistent his production has been. Velazquez is slashing .357/.415/.905 and has driven in an astonishing 32 runs in 21 games. His three-RBI night pushed his season total to 86, eclipsing his previous career best of 85 established last year across two Minor League levels.
But the home runs tell only part of the story.
Velazquez has shown that his power is not merely the product of a strong hitter running into a few mistakes. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder’s ability to drive the baseball with authority has been evident throughout the season, but he’s also batting .292 with a .936 OPS in 109 games for Double-A Akron and Columbus.
That combination of raw power and production -- not to mention a HR/AB ratio of once every 5.6 at-bats in August -- draws plenty of attention. The numbers are only getting louder with every swing, and for one of baseball’s fastest-rising prospects, it couldn’t come at a better time.