Jose Tena is our No. 15 Guardians prospect. Who should be No. 16?

Jose Tena is our No. 15 prospect, earning 31% of the vote on Monday and beating out the competition by just four votes.

Tena was a member of the vaunted 2017 international class that signed with Cleveland alongside Brayan Rocchio, George Valera, Aaran Bracho and others. He didn’t get quite the same amount of hype because his signing bonus wasn’t as large, but he’s left his mark in other ways, slashing 313/.367/.410. as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2018.

Tena was promoted to Arizona in 2019, where he again impressed, this time slashing .325/.352/.440 over 44 games, good for a 115 wRC+.

Following the lost 2020 season, Tena skipped Single-A and went straight to High-A in 2021, where he showcased improved power. After hitting just two home runs in the previous three years, Tena blasted 16 in 2021 over 107 games played, doubling his ISO from his 2018 season to .186 while slashing .281/.331/.467.

The real standout moment for Tena in 2021 was his performance in the Arizona Fall League, where he was one of the youngest players at 20 years old and led the league in hitting at .387, which earned him a spot on Cleveland’s 40-man roster.

Since then, Tena has been inconsistent. He had a rough 2022 season at Double-A, sporting a 91 wRC+, but then looked amazing in a five-game sample size at Triple-A. Due to overcrowding at the upper levels in the middle infield, he repeated his 2023 season at Double-A and again wasn’t great, slashing just .260/.353/.370 for the RubberDucks.

After Amed Rosario was traded, Tena got another opportunity at Triple-A and he impressed, slashing .350/.394/.667 over a 66 at-bat sample size in 15 games and even getting a chance to earn a cup of coffee at the MLB level, where he had seven hits in 34 plate appearances.

Tena will be in the mix for either the starting shortstop job in Spring Training or at least the utility infield position, but he has his work cut out for him with Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman and Brayan Rocchio all ahead of him in the pecking order and a plethora of talented middle infield prospects coming up the ranks behind him who are champing at the bit for an opportunity.

Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B (Age 20)

2023 (AA): 481 PA, .254/.297/.431, 20 HR, 4 SB, 5.2 BB%, 26.0 K%, 88 wRC+

Selected by Cleveland in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft out of Arizona’s farm system, the powerful De Los Santos will need to spend the entire 2024 season at the MLB level or be returned.

Jose Devers, SS/3B (Age 20)

2023 (A): 458 PA, .252/.345/.398, 11 HR, 34 SB, 10.5 BB%, 20.1 K%, 113 wRC+

.Cousin of Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers, Jose made his full-season debut in 2023 and showcased impressive speed on the basepaths and some decent pop.

Angel Genao, SS/3B (Age 19)

2023 (A): 316 PA, .263/.345/.385, 4 HR, 6 SB, 10.8 BB%, 15.5 K%, 110 wRC+

Impressed in his first full-season at Single-A as a teenager in 2023. Was one of the youngest players at the level and was above average with a 110 wRC+.

Petey Halpin, OF (Age 21)

2023 (AA): 510 PA, .243/.312/.372, 9 HR, 12 SB, 9.2 BB%, 24.7 K%, 88 wRC+

Spent his age-21 season at Double-A, where he had his first below-average season, but at least he stayed healthy in 2023 with a career-high 113 games played.

Parker Messick, LHP (Age 23)

2023: (A) 13 GS, 56.2 IP, 3.02 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 26.0 K%, 6.0 BB%
2023: (A+) 11 GS, 65.0 IP, 4.43 ERA, 4.86 FIP, 26.3 K%, 8.8 BB%

Cleveland’s second round pick in 2022, Messick showcased consistent stuff at both Lynchburg and Lake County in his debut season while staying healthy.

Jhonkensy Noel, 1B/3B/OF (Age 22)

2023 (AAA): 585 PA, .220/.303/.420, 27 HR, 1 SB, 8.4 BB%, 24.8 K%, 77 wRC+

Spent his entire 2023 season at Triple-A, where he bashed 27 home runs one year after hitting 32 bombs across three levels. Lots of power, but needs help everywhere else.

Rafael Ramirez Jr., SS (Age 18)

2023 (CPX): 190 PA, .250/.453/.426, 4 HR, 6 SB, 26.3 BB%, 28.4 K%, 133 wRC+

Impressed as a 17-year-old in the Arizona Complex League in 2023 and could be a fast-riser in prospect rankings. Ramirez Jr. is the son of former MLB All-Star Rafael Ramirez.

Cade Smith, RHP (Age 24)

2023: (AA) 17 G, 22.0 IP, 2.86 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 31.5 K%, 9.8 BB%
2023: (AAA) 30 G, 40.2 IP, 4.65 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 37.1 K%, 10.7 BB%

Reliever standing 6-foot-5 with an elite strikeout rate and mid 90s velocity. Smith was added to the 40-man roster and should help Cleveland’s bullpen in 2024.

Khalil Watson, SS (Age 20)

2023 (A+ MIA): 243 PA, .206/.337/.362, 7 HR, 14 SB, 14.4 BB%, 28.0 K%, 103 wRC+
2023 (A+ CLE): 98 PA, .233/.306/.442, 5 HR, 11 SB, 8.2 BB%, 24.5 K%, 107 wRC+

Acquired in the Josh Bell trade, Watson is a middle-infielder with incredible athleticism and power who has been troubled by attitude, contact and strikeout issues.

Ryan Webb, LHP (Age 24)

2023: (A+) 17 GS, 82.0 IP, 3.29 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 23.8 K%, 9.7 BB%
2023: (AFL) 6 GS, 22.2 IP, 4.37 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 37.8 K%, 14.7 BB%

A fourth round pick in 2021 who had to recover from Tommy John surgery, Webb has shown flashes of brilliance and most recently led the 2023 AFL in strikeouts.