Cooper Ingle is hitting fifth and DHing for the Cleveland Guardians tonight in his Major League debut against the Seattle Mariners. Here’s how to watch the Guardians’ No. 68 overall prospect take his first big-league swings — and what the numbers say about how he might do it.
How to Watch Cooper Ingle’s MLB Debut
- First pitch: 7:10 PM ET, Friday, June 26
- Ballpark: Progressive Field, Cleveland
- TV: CLEG (Cleveland) | SEAM (Seattle)
- Stream: MLB.TV for out-of-market viewers; regional apps via TV-provider login in-market
- On the mound he’ll face: Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (2-6, 5.22)
Why Ingle Got the Call
Cleveland selected Ingle’s contract from Triple-A Columbus ahead of tonight’s opener, designating outfielder Stuart Fairchild for assignment to clear the roster spot. The 24-year-old forced the issue: a .284/.416/.551 line with 12 home runs and a 150 wRC+ over 51 games, capped by a three-homer game on June 18 — one of those off a top Yankees pitching prospect.
The carrying tool isn’t the power, it’s the plate discipline. Ingle has walked more than he’s struck out in three straight pro seasons (41 walks, 50 strikeouts this year). Drafted out of Clemson in 2023 as a catcher, he’s been blocked by Cleveland’s depth behind the plate — Patrick Bailey, Austin Hedges and David Fry — so the Guardians began playing him in left field at Columbus to fast-track the bat. Tonight, it shows up at DH.
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. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
This is a 2026 photo of Cooper Ingle of the Cleveland Guardians MLB baseball team. This image reflects the 2026 active roster as of Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 when the images was taken in Goodyear, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Cooper Ingle’s First At-Bat: What the Numbers Say
Ingle’s debut at-bat comes against Castillo, a veteran right-hander — and that’s the favorable side of the matchup for him. Here’s the Triple-A Statcast profile he brings into the box:
- vs. fastballs: .464 wOBA / .418 xwOBA — he punishes velocity
- vs. breaking balls: .361 wOBA / .301 xwOBA
- vs. offspeed: .349 wOBA / .333 xwOBA
- The caveat: as a left-handed bat, Ingle has scuffled against lefties — a .611 OPS vs. LHP this season, with career marks in the mid-.600s
The matchup math works in his favor tonight. Castillo throws a four-seamer (about 46% of the time) and a sinker (16%) — roughly six in ten pitches are fastballs, the exact category Ingle has hammered in the minors. Castillo’s out pitch is a slider (25%), and that breaking ball is where a debuting rookie’s nerves usually get exposed. The book on Ingle: sit fastball, lay off the slider down. He’s a right-on-right matchup against the wrong-handed pitcher for Seattle to neutralize him.
Tonight’s Line
The Guardians are slim home favorites with both offenses scuffling — Cleveland is missing José Ramírez, Angel Martínez and Chase DeLauter, and Seattle hasn’t scored more than three runs since June 12.
- Moneyline: Guardians -112 | Mariners -104
- Total: 7.5 (Under leaning)
One number that matters for Ingle specifically: the Mariners are batting an MLB-worst .207 against left-handed pitching this season, and they draw Cleveland lefty Joey Cantillo tonight — so the Guardians’ run-scoring burden, and the spotlight, may fall on the bats behind him. A debut-specific prop line for Ingle (hits/total bases) had not posted at publish; rookie debut props typically go live late and thin. We’ll update if a line appears.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and subject to movement at first pitch.
Source: MLB.com
