Guardians’ Andrew Walters Jumps On A Fast Track
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The Guardians’ ability to find and develop pitchers is an organizational strength. Cleveland has a knack for identifying, acquiring and cultivating a consistent group of pitching prospects.
One of the Guardians’ latest finds is 23-year-old righthander Andrew Walters, whom they drafted out of Miami in the supplemental second round in 2023.
A first-team All-America reliever in both 2022 and 2023, Walters logged 26 career saves for the Hurricanes while striking out 170 batters in 102 innings to go with a 1.41 ERA.
He has made a seamless transition to pro ball. In 17 appearances for Double-A Akron, he recorded a 1.35 ERA with 38 strikeouts and eight walks in 20 innings. The Guardians promoted him to Triple-A Columbus on May 28.
“Walters is off to a hot start,” Guardians assistant GM James Harris said. “With a fastball up to 100 (mph) that he commands and a slider to complement it, he is striking out almost 45% of the hitters he faces.”
Given the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Walters’ impressive start to his professional career, he could be a candidate to be fast-tracked to Cleveland. Cody Allen and Emmanuel Clase are two recent examples of Guardians relievers who debuted with the club at age 23.
“Andrew continues to work on his slider, splitter and controlling the running game with pitching coach Cody Buckel,” Harris said. “And he is refining his routines as a reliever. He works hard on and off the field.”
