A former Clemson standout is tearing it up in the minor leagues.
Former Tiger catcher Cooper Ingle has been swinging a hot bat with the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
Ingle has been a nightmare for opposing pitchers. As of Tuesday, June 9, Ingle was hitting .300 with nine home runs, 34 RBI and a stellar 1.025 OPS over 40 games with Columbus this season.
In 130 at-bats this season as of June 9, Ingle had 39 hits (including six doubles and one triple to go with the nine homers) while walking exactly as many times (37) as he had struck out, and also posting an outstanding .456 on-base percentage and .569 slugging percentage.
Ingle was drafted by the Guardians in the fourth round (No. 125 overall pick) of the 2023 MLB Draft. Cleveland made Ingle the sixth catcher selected in the 2023 draft.
The 5-foot-8, 190-pounder has performed very well overall during his minor league career, with a career .284 average, 30 home runs, 166 RBI, 10 stolen bases and an .873 OPS across 938 at-bats as of June 9.
For his Clemson career, Ingle was a .329 hitter with a .476 slugging percentage and .425 on-base percentage in 126 games (120 starts) over three seasons from 2021-23. He had 29 doubles, 14 homers, 81 RBIs, 112 runs, 80 walks and two steals, and only struck out 62 times in 483 career at-bats.
Ingle is currently the No. 70 overall prospect in minor league baseball, per MLB Pipeline, which ranks him as the No. 8 catching prospect and the No. 3 prospect in Cleveland’s farm system.
More on Ingle from MLB Pipeline:
Ingle had a steady but unspectacular college career at Clemson before the Guardians made him a fourth-round pick in 2023. He opened eyes with his first full pro season, when he was named High-A Midwest League MVP and led all Minor League catchers in wRC+ (160), on-base percentage (.419) and BB/K ratio (1.2). He batted .260/.389/.419 with 10 homers in 120 games between Double-A and Triple-A as an encore in 2025.
While Ingle wasn’t as dynamic offensively last season, he did have more walks than strikeouts for his third consecutive year as a pro. He’s an extremely disciplined hitter who controls the zone and rarely comes up empty when he turns his left-handed swing loose. Cleveland has helped him add a leg kick and hunt for early-count pitches he can drive, and he launched balls in the air more than ever last year, hinting at 15-homer power in the big leagues.
Ingle had a reputation as an agile defender in the past, but he slowed down in 2025, both behind the plate and on the bases. Though he has good hands and receives well, he regressed as a framer at the upper levels of the Minors. He lacks physicality at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds and has just fringy arm strength that he does mitigate with a quick release.
