What to expect from Guardians prospect Kayfus in the big leagues

C.J. Kayfus always has impressed with his hitting ability, but he didn't show the power to truly fit the first-base profile.

He had some of the best bat-to-ball skills in Florida's 2020 high school class, yet went unselected in the shortened pandemic Draft. Even after he hit .357 in two years as a starter at Miami, sandwiched around posting a .302 average with wood bats in the Cape Cod League, he lasted 93 picks in the 2023 Draft. Questions remained about his pop after he totaled just 21 homers as a sophomore and junior with the Hurricanes.

Once he got into pro ball, the Guardians told Kayfus that they weren't worried about strikeouts because he made contact with his left-handed swing so easily. They encouraged him to be more aggressive early in counts, to hunt pitches he could drive to his pull side and try to do so. He discovered more power without compromising his hitting skills and became one of the best prospects in baseball, ranking No. 66 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list.

And now he's a big leaguer. Looking to jump-start the fifth-worst offense in MLB (3.92 runs per game) and climb from three games back in the American League Wild Card race, Cleveland promoted Kayfus, its fourth-ranked prospect, on Saturday. He immediately went into the lineup for an afternoon game against the Twins, batting eighth and playing right field.

Kayfus, 23, has slashed .293/.395/.525 with 35 home runs in 210 pro games. He turns his left-handed swing loose more often than he did in college and has improved his ability to launch balls in the air. Most of his homers land between right-center and the right-field line, though he does have some opposite-field pop.

The evolved version of Kayfus is capable of providing 20 or more homers per season along with healthy batting averages and on-base percentages. His strikeout rate has risen from 14 percent at Miami to 24 percent in pro ball, but he still makes a lot of hard contact and draws his fair share of walks. He's equally productive against lefties and righties.

Though he was drafted as a first baseman and has spent most of his pro career there, Kayfus is more athletic and versatile than most players at his primary position. He has average speed and good instincts on the bases, though he's not much of a basestealer.

Kayfus is a smooth defender around the bag at first base, where he displays good hands and average arm strength. The Guardians have reigning AL Gold Glover Carlos Santana at the position, however, as well as another first baseman (Kyle Manzardo) who has been one of their best bats as their primary DH.

Anticipating a potential logjam at his position, Cleveland began playing Kayfus in left field last year. He added right field to his résumé this season and spent nearly as much time on the outfield corners as he did at first base once he arrived in Triple-A in late April. With fringy range and average arm strength, he's better suited for left field -- where the Guardians have another Gold Glover in Steven Kwan -- but likely to get most of his initial big league playing time in right.

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Based on Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement, Cleveland ranks 29th in value derived from center field (-2.1 bWAR) and right field (-3.2 bWAR) in 2025. Its right fielders rank as the second-worst position-player group in MLB.

Kayfus should be an upgrade on what the Guardians have gotten out of Nolan Jones, Jhonkensy Noel and Johnathan Rodríguez in right. He has the upside to eventually become the second-best hitter in their lineup behind José Ramírez.