Cooper Ingle, a 24-year-old catcher, is making waves in the Cleveland Guardians' development program. Fans are optimistic about his potential impact on the team's future.
Key points
Cooper Ingle is a 24-year-old catcher
He is part of the Cleveland Guardians' development program
Fans are excited about his future
Ingle participated in Photo Day on February 12, 2026
Spring Training takes place in Goodyear, Arizona
Mentioned in this story
Goodyear, Arizona
Cleveland GuardiansCooper Ingle
Cleveland Guardians Photo Day
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 12: Cooper Ingle of the Cleveland Guardians poses for a portrait at Cleveland Guardians Photo Day during 2026 Spring Training at Goodyear Ballpark on February 12, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Cleveland Guardians fans should be excited about the future of Cooper Ingle.
Ingle, 24, is a catcher in the Cleveland Guardians development program.
Cooper Ingle can flat out hit.
baseballreference.com lists Ingle to be 5-9, 190 pounds, which isnât a very large frame for a catcher.
At the close of play April 20, Ingle was hitting .357/.617/.786/.1.403, with four homers and 12 RBIs in 47 plate appearances.
The left-handed hitting Ingle is another in the vast array of left-handed hitters in the Guardians organization.
At the big league level this year, the Guardians have right-handed hitting David Fry, and Austin Hedges, as well as left-handed hitting Bo Naylor handling the catching at the major league level.
All three are veterans, with Hedges providing tremendous leadership and outstanding defensive abilities behind the plate.
Fry and Naylor have started slowly at the plate, but there is no indication any of the Guardians catchers are in immediate jeopardy of being replaced.
But strange things happen in baseball.
A bat like the one Ingle is flashing in his development becomes more intriguing with each passing game.
Q&A
Who is Cooper Ingle and what position does he play?
Cooper Ingle is a 24-year-old catcher in the Cleveland Guardians' development program.
What are the expectations for Cooper Ingle in the Cleveland Guardians?
Fans are excited about Cooper Ingle's potential and optimistic about his future contributions to the team.
When did Cooper Ingle participate in the Cleveland Guardians Photo Day?
Cooper Ingle participated in the Cleveland Guardians Photo Day on February 12, 2026.
Where is the Cleveland Guardians' Spring Training held?
The Cleveland Guardians' Spring Training is held at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.
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Miami v Clemson
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 28: Cooper Ingle #12 of the Clemson Tigers stands on the field during an official play review against the Miami Hurricanes in the ninth inning during the ACC Baseball Championship game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on May 28, 2023 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Getty Images
About Cooper Ingle:
Ingle was selected by the Guardians with the teamâs 4th pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.
Chosen out of Clemson University, Ingle received a $400,000 signing bonus from Cleveland.
The Guardians may have gotten a clear bargain when they signed Ingle, as MLB had indicated a value of $526,200 for Ingleâs draft slot.
At the time of the draft, MLB.comâs Jam Callis indicated, âIngle was a âcontact hitter, athletic for his position, flashes solid speed, average arm.â
That was fair at the time. But Ingle has really improved in all phases of his game since.
The praise for Ingleâs game is fairly widespread.
On April 20, nextyearincleveland.substack said, âIngle continues to make his case to be behind the plate for the Cleveland Guardians in the near future after a two-home run game in the series finales against Iowa.â
In October 2025, si.com predicted Ingle would make his major league debut with Cleveland this year, 2026. While that hasnât happened quite yet, the new season is only one month old.
College Baseball Notebook
Clemson catcher Cooper Ingle laughs with teammates before an NCAA baseball game against South Carolina at Segra Park on Saturday, March 5, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Clemson won 10-2. Ingle is batting .463 and has a .603 on-base percentage. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
About Cooper Ingle:
Ingle went to A. C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina. He then went to Clemson, where he played three seasons, and hit 329/.425/.476/.901, with 29 doubles, 14 home runs, and 81 RBIs in 578 plate appearances.
Ingle is in his 4th season in the Guardians development program.
The Guardians got to see Ingle play in the summer Cape Cod League before the draft. He hit well enough to put himself on the map for the draft.
The Cape Cod League uses wooden bats, and at times, players have difficulty with the transition from aluminum bats in college, to using wood in the Cape Cod Summer League.
Ingle is ranked the No. 5 Guardians prospect, and is the highest ranked catcher in the Guardians development system.
Ingleâs most refined tool is his ability to hit for average, which is showing in Columbus.
Ingle is very disciplined at the plate, as his knowledge of the strike zone, his patience, and his selectivity are hallmarks of his offensive approach.
An excellent contact hitter, itâs possible that Ingle can hit some big league homers.
Not particularly young for a budding prospect, most of Ingleâs skills are known, and most are baked in.
He can hit. He can play solid defense at catcher, with good blocking and receiving skills. Ingle is reputed to be a good handler of pitchers.
MLBPipeline.com indicates Ingle may have trouble framing pitches. However, that skill has become less relevant now with the advent of the Automated Balls/Strikes (ABS) system.
The ABS system may be of great assistance to a catcher like Ingle, and in fact, it may be a factor that escalates his timetable to the parent club.
Altoona Curve v Akron RubberDucks
AKRON, OHIO - MAY 20, 2025: Cooper Ingle #2 of the Akron RubberDucks runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Altoona Curve at Canal Park on May 20, 2025 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Diamond Images/Getty Images
Conclusions:
For this old scout, Ingle might prove to be an upgrade to the current Cleveland catching corps.
While he may not become a star, Ingle should hit enough to keep the line moving in the Cleveland batting order with solid contact, and a hit tool that could result in a very respectable major league batting average.
Prospect catcher Cooper Ingle is hitting his way to Cleveland.
Future Cleveland Guardians games could see more offense from the catching position.
Cooper Ingle can hit.
That matters.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
