The Cleveland Guardians promoted former Florida right-handed pitcher Franco Aleman to the Major League roster on Friday.
A 10th-round pick in 2021, Aleman spent that spring with the Gators, making nine starts in 23 appearances. He finished the season with a 5.74 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 21 walks over 69 innings. He threw seven shutout innings against Alabama in the SEC Tournament, which was perhaps his best moment wearing the Orange and Blue.
His 70-grade fastball has always been the point of intrigue. It averages 96-97 mph, but Aleman has run it up as high as 101 mph. He complements that with a splitter, similar to Cleveland closer Cade Smith.
Aleman settled into a full-time reliever role in 2023, splitting the season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron, posting a 0.00 ERA in 19 appearances at the higher level that year.
Aleman spent all of 2024 and 2025 in Triple-A Columbus, throwing a combined 59 1/3 innings for the Clippers. His first year went very well, with a 1.99 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but last season saw those numbers elevate to 7.85 and 1.77, respectively. Opponents went from hitting .184 against Aleman to .281 in 2025. However, those struggles came after he started the season with a left hip inguinal hernia.
This year, he’s impressed with a 0.00 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and .077 opposing batting average over 12 innings and 13 appearances. He’s converted all three of his save opportunities as well.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Former Florida RHP Franco Aleman set to make MLB debut with Guardians
Reporting by David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
