Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40 

After going 1-for-16 as a freshman in 2021, Ingle has been one of Clemson's best hitters the past two seasons. He has started games at five different positions: catcher, both outfield corners, DH and second base. Scouts love his makeup and appreciate his bat-to-ball skills, but they wonder whether he's physical enough to handle a full-time workload behind the plate.  

Ingle does a fine job of controlling the barrel from the left side of the plate and focuses on putting the ball in play. Just 11 percent of his swings resulted in misses this spring, including only 6 percent against fastballs. He draws a healthy amount of walks but displays little power, making a lot of ground-ball contact to the opposite field and rarely driving the ball in the air to his pull side. 

Quicker and more athletic than most catchers, Ingle can flash solid speed out of the batter's box. But he's also small for his position at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and caught just 60 games in three college seasons. He has average arm strength and similar potential as a receiver, though he needs more reps behind the plate. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

A steady if unspectacular starter for two seasons at Clemson before the Guardians drafted him in 2023's fourth round, Ingle exploded in his first full pro season. He won High-A Midwest League MVP honors by hitting .314/.433/.500 in 68 games before a promotion to Double-A, where he batted .281/.379/.416 in 25 contests. He led all Minor League catchers in wRC+ (160), on-base percentage (.419) and BB/K ratio (1.2).

Like most of Cleveland's best position prospects, Ingle controls his barrel and the strike zone extremely well. A left-handed hitter, he rarely chases or swings and misses, making consistent contact and getting on base at a high clip. He's not very physical and makes a lot of groundball contact, which limits his power upside, though the Guardians have had him add a leg kick and hunt for pitches to drive early in counts, which could result in 12-15 homers on an annual basis.

Quicker and more agile than most catchers, Ingle can flash solid speed out of the batter's box but is more of a fringy runner on the bases and could slow down as he spends more time behind the plate. He has good hands, committing just one passed ball in 74 games last year, and boosts his below-average arm strength with a quick release that helped him throw out 26 percent of basestealers in 2024. He lacks physicality at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, so there are some concerns about him handling a starter's workload at the big league level.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Ingle went 1-for-16 as a Clemson freshman in 2021 before becoming one of the Tigers' best hitters the next two years while starting games at catcher, both outfield corners, DH and second base. The Guardians liked his bat-to-ball skills, versatility and makeup enough to draft him in the fourth round last July. He has hit well in High-A during his pro debut and first full season while Cleveland carefully has managed his workload behind the plate.

Ingle controls the barrel of his bat as well as the strike zone better than most players can. He rarely swings and misses or chases pitches out of the strike zone, making regular contact while drawing plenty of walks. After rarely driving the ball in the air and rolling over a lot of grounders to his pull side at Clemson, he has added a leg kick and is tapping into more power in pro ball.

Very quick and athletic for a catcher, Ingle can show solid speed out of the batter's box at times but plays as more of a fringy runner and will slow down as he endures more wear and tear at his position. He's not very physical for a backstop at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds and caught just 60 games in three years at Clemson, so he'll have to prove that he can handle a full workload. He needs more repetitions behind the plate, but he has the makings of an average receiver and enhances so-so arm strength with a quick release.

Awards

Baseball America Double-A All-Star

Year	Team
2025

EAS Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2024

MID Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

MID Most Valuable Player

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/11/2025	C Cooper Ingle assigned to Columbus Clippers from Akron RubberDucks.
	03/06/2025	activated C Cooper Ingle.
	01/14/2025	Cleveland Guardians invited non-roster C Cooper Ingle to spring training.
	08/12/2024	C Cooper Ingle assigned to Akron RubberDucks from Lake County Captains.
	03/07/2024	Cleveland Guardians Prospects activated C Cooper Ingle.
	02/27/2024	C Cooper Ingle assigned to Cleveland Guardians.
	08/08/2023	C Cooper Ingle assigned to Lake County Captains.
	08/08/2023	Lake County Captains activated C Cooper Ingle.
	07/22/2023	Cleveland Guardians signed C Cooper Ingle.
	06/14/2023	C Cooper Ingle assigned to College Workout.
	05/26/2023	College Workout activated C Cooper Ingle.
	05/24/2023	College Workout activated C Cooper Ingle.
	05/20/2023	Clemson Tigers activated C Cooper Ingle.
	05/20/2023	C Cooper Ingle assigned to Clemson Tigers.
	04/30/2022	C Cooper Ingle and assigned to Clemson Tigers.