The Cleveland Guardians have become a pipeline for pitching over the years. With the likes of Shane Bieber, Zack Plesac, and Triston McKenzie already in the majors, and Daniel Espino and Logan Allen on the way, the Guardians should have plenty of pitching for years to come.
But the best piece in their farm system may not be getting the attention he deserves. Xzavion Curry has done nothing but dominate since he set foot on the mound in the Guardians’ system, his success belying his modest stature amongst Guardians’ prospects.
Xzavion Curry worth watching in Cleveland Guardians system
It would make sense that Curry would have gotten lost in the shuffle. He was a seventh round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, but did not make his professional debut until 2021. His 2019 season was lost due to shoulder inflammation, then he lost further time because of the pandemic.
He more than made up for lost time last year. Curry rocketed through the Guardians’ system, shooting up to Double-A by the end of the year. In that time frame, he posted a 2.30 ERA and a 0.891 WHiP in his 97.2 innings, striking out 123 batters with just 16 walks. That type of production will garner attention, especially as he climbed three levels in that year.
Curry is a bit small at 5’11” tall and 190 pounds. His fastball, which sits in the lower 90s, is the only one of his four offerings that is considered better than average. But he has strong command and is able to get the most out of his arsenal because of his ability to throw any of his pitches for strikes.
While the Guardians are going to want to see how he handles advanced competition over a full season, he had an excellent first outing in Double-A. Curry allowed just four hits and a walk over his 4.1 innings, striking out seven batters. If he can continue that type of performance this year, it would not be a surprise to see Curry get a promotion to Triple-A, or maybe even the majors by the end of the season.
The Cleveland Guardians have had a great deal of success in generating impressive arms. Xzavion Curry may well be the next in line.