Cleveland Baseball Insider

2025 Cleveland Guardians Top 30 Prospects: No. 26 OF Alfonsin Rosario

Rosario collected 38 extra-base hits in 2024, including 16 HR's to go along with 20 SB while posting a 127 wRC+

Todd Paquette

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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As we prepare for a new season, there’s no better time to bring you an up-to-date look at Cleveland Guardians on SI's top 30 prospects!

Rankings are based on live and video scouting, as well as having conversations with evaluators within and outside of the organization. The ultimate goal here is to inform our readers and give you information on some of the young talent in the organization that you can follow and look forward to seeing in the future at the MLB level.

While prospect lists are fun and entertaining for fans, they are not an end-all-be-all in terms of who makes it eventually to the major leagues. Remember, Jose Ramirez was never a top-100 prospect nationally and Steven Kwan wasn't considered top-20 prospect in the Guardians organization by many outside publications.

No. 26 OF Alfonsin Rosario

AGE - 20

BATS - Right

DOB - 6/21/2004

THROWS - Right

HT - 6'1"

DRAFTED - 2023, 6th RND - CHC

WT - 210

ETA - 2027

Rosario was born in the Dominican Republic, but was raised in New Jersey. He moved to South Carolina for his senior year of high school. He is the younger brother of San Diego Padres infielder Eugy Rosario.

Rosario was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs out of P27 Academy in Lexington, South Carolina. He made his pro-debut in 2023, appearing in nine games in the Arizona Complex League. The Guardians acquired Rosario in a trade with the Cubs for RHP Eli Morgan on November 20th, 2024.

Scouting Grades

Hit - 35

Arm - 70

Power - 60

Field - 50

Run - 60

Overall - 45

Hit

Rosario is a very aggressive hitter with a pull-heavy swing, who has a lot of swing and miss to his game. He had a 32.2% strikeout rate in 2024 while playing for Low-A Myrtle Beach. Most of his struggles are due to pitch recognition and chasing pitches he can't handle particularly, breaking balls. He did show the ability to draw walks, showcasing a decent eye at the plate with a 12.3 percent walk rate last year.

Power

Rosario has impressive physical physique at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, and at just 20 years old, he will only get stronger as he continues to develop and mature. His bat speed generates tremendous power and high exit velocities.

Run

Rosario is an impressive athlete, and despite his size and muscular build, he demonstrates above-average speed. He stole 20 bases in 2024 and has the potential to annually produce 20/20 seasons.

Arm

Rosario's best tool currently is his arm. While still in high school in 2022, he recorded a 101 mph throw, giving him one of the top arms in his draft class.

Field

Rosario has appeared mostly in center field in his brief professional career. His above-average speed aides him with his range in running down balls. As he continues to mature and presumably add more muscle, he might make to move to a corner outfield spot.

2024 Stats

G

AB

R

H

2B

3B

HR

RBI

BB

SO

SB

AVG

OBP

SLG

ISO

OPS

wRC+

109

383

61

88

18

4

16

73

56

147

20

.230

.344

.423

.193

.767

127

Rosario spent his entire 2024 season at the Cubs Low-A affiliate Myrtle Beach. While his batting average was only .230 on the season, there was still a lot to like - including 38 extra base hits and 16 home runs. That's pretty impressive for a 19-year old kid in what is traditionally a very pitcher-friendly Carolina League. The 16 home runs were good for the fourth most in the entire league.

While he did strikeout 147 times, he drew 56 walks to post a respectable .344 on-base percentage. Rosario stole 20 bases on the year, showcasing the intriguing power and speed combo he possesses. Probably his most impressive stat was his 127 wRC+, which again he posted in a very difficult environment for hitters. His wRC+ was good for 9th best in the Carolina League.

2025 and Future Outlook

2025 will be Rosario's first season in the Cleveland Guardians organization. He should start the year at High-A Lake County after spending the entire 2024 at the Low-A level in the Cubs organization. Alfonsin has already stated in spring training his focus is to cut down on chasing pitches and narrow his strike zone to make more contact. If he is successful in the development of his overall hitting tool and produces at Lake County, he could possibly earn a mid to late season promotion to Double-A Akron.

Rosario currently would be considered a boom-or-bust prospect or a lottery ticket. He has a tremendous ceiling and if he continues to get better with all his tools, he could easily be a future major league starter. The downside is if his hit tool doesn't develop and he continues to struggle with making contact especially as he starts to face higher level pitching, he will never sniff the big leagues.

At just 20-year-old, there is still a lot of time for him to improve his overall game and mature as a player. Rosario is such an intriguing young player because of his raw power and speed, as well as his defensive ability with a cannon for an arm. If he does continue to develop, he could be a special player at the next level and a potential steal in the trade with the Cubs.

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Todd Paquette
TODD PAQUETTE

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