Guardians Prospect Profile: Josh Hartle

Josh Hartle, LHP, 22, Double-A

Hartle was acquired by the Guardians from the Pirates in the Luis Ortiz trade in December 2024 and has quickly become one of Cleveland’s more intriguing pitching prospects. A tall lefty at 6'6" 207 pounds, he uses a low three-quarters delivery and already shows an advanced feel for pitching. Hartle frequently draws Andrew Heaney comparisons thanks to his slender frame and deceptive mechanics. His fastball typically sits in the low 90's and is complemented by a plus slider, solid cutter, and fading changeup. In 2025, he posted a 2.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 22 High-A starts, striking out 24% of batters and walking just under 9%. What really stands out is his ability to generate ground balls. Hartle had an elite ground ball rate of 62%. Anything over 50% is considered very good. In fact, only 9 MLB pitchers hit that mark last season. Hartle’s modest velocity does limit his margin for error, so adding some velo would go a long way. Like all pitching prospects, he’ll also need to sharpen his secondary pitches to handle upper-level hitters. Still, his repeatable delivery, excellent control, and ability to generate ground balls give him a strong shot to be a back-end starter for the Guardians. He finished 2025 at Double-A Akron and will likely open there in 2026.

How do you see Hartle's game translating to Double-A and beyond? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

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