From the Field: Joe Lampe, of, Cleveland Guardians
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Joe Lampe [ insta: @joelampe5 ] was Cleveland’s third-round pick of the 2022 draft, out of Arizona State. He is currently one of the Guard’s Top 30 prospects. I was thrilled to get this autograph this weekend. A friend got it for me roughly a month ago, but the post office lost the package. I was ready to give up on it, and it showed up today. The boat ride from Ohio to Hawaii is a long one, it would seem.
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Lampe pretty much epitomizes the kind of player that the Guards like to target and develop: great defense and plus contact. And since he is a center fielder, if that is the profile he brings to the majors, then perfect. Of course, Cleveland prospect lists are littered with similar players, all with wildly different developmental paths: Tim Fedroff, Jordan Henry, Trevor Crowe, Michael Brantley, Ka’ai Tom, Bradley Zimmer, and Steven Kwan. I like to think Lampe will be more Steven Kwan, less Jordan Henry.
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And so far, so good! Cleveland was a little more aggressive with Lampe and put him with their High-A affiliate. And he is having a solid season, hitting .239/.346/.355. He has 7 stolen bases and has shown some pop with 4 HR. Cleveland really needs more prospects with power, but I would be more than happy if Lampe is allowed to develop into a high OBP guy with great defense. Let other guys hit the home runs. Let Lampe patrol center field at Progressive and catch Gold Gloves all day.