Guardians No. 3 prospect gets HOTTER with multihomer game at Double-A

It took Ralphy Velazquez just three days to deliver his first multihomer game at Double-A last year. It may have taken until his 36th contest this season, but it came during an equally impressive hot streak.

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MLB’s No. 59 prospect launched a pair of big flies and a double in Double-A Akron’s 10-9 victory over Chesapeake at 7 17 Credit Union Park on Sunday. Velazquez collected three RBIs and three runs while raising his season slash line to .317/.414/.566.

The 20-year-old is amid a stretch in which he has reached base in 25 of 26 games and collected knocks in 21 of them. In May, Velazquez sports a 1.185 OPS and a .724 slugging percentage -- the best in the system. He also leads all Guardians Minor Leaguers in hits (46) and total bases (82) this season and is tied for the lead with 19 extra-base hits.

Velazquez’s first homer of the day -- a fourth inning laser off 6-foot-5 lefty Sebastian Gongora (Orioles) that landed in the RubberDucks’ bullpen -- was his third lefty-on-lefty big fly of the season. Over the past two seasons, the Guardians' No. 3 prospect hasn't let up on same-handed counterparts. Through 53 games this year, Velazquez sports a 1.014 OPS against southpaws, a mark consistent with his .887 OPS in 2025.

His second homer came off of right-hander Ben Vespi (Orioles) in the seventh. Velazquez jumped on a high offspeed pitch and drilled it off the batter’s eye in straightaway center.

Drafted 23rd overall as a catcher in 2023, Velazquez moved primarily to first base during his first full season to put an emphasis on his bat. He has also gotten sporadic reps in the outfield over the past three years -- he made his second start of 2026 in left field on Sunday -- to increase his positional versatility.

Last season, the California native led the High-A Midwest League with 17 homers in 94 games before earning a callup to Double-A to close out the season. Across 22 games at the level, Velazquez had immediate success. He slashed .330/.405/.589 with five homers despite being about 3 1/2 years younger than his average opponent, keeping him on top prospect radars entering 2026.

Velazquez has proven his 2025 breakout wasn’t an aberration and he's continuing to build on his reputation.