Former Miami Hurricanes standout C.J. Kayfus was called up to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday morning, becoming the 71st Hurricane in program history to make it to Major League Baseball. The 23‑year‑old right fielder hit the field that afternoon and became the third Miami alum to debut in the big leagues this season, joining Carson Palmquist (Rockies) and Brian Van Belle (Red Sox). He is also reunited with former Miami teammate Slade Cecconi, who is already on Cleveland’s active roster.
A native of Wellington, Fla., Kayfus was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He rose swiftly through the minors in 2025, posting a combined stat line of .300/.390/.529 (.929 OPS) across 86 games with Double‑A Akron and Triple‑A Columbus. His 14 home runs, 54 RBIs, and .929 OPS were among the best in the Guardians farm system. After just 18 games at Double‑A where he slashed a scorching .364/.475/.591, adding one homer and 11 RBIs, Kayfus earned his promotion to Columbus in early May.
A two‑year starter at Miami, Kayfus earned All‑ACC second‑team honors and was named the Hurricanes’ team MVP in 2022, batting a team‑best .366 with 87 hits, 38 walks, 16 stolen bases, and a .460 on‑base percentage across all 60 contests. He recorded 27 multi‑hit games and reached base in all but two outings.
In his major‑league debut at Cleveland on Aug. 2 against the Minnesota Twins, Kayfus batted eighth and started in right field, recording his first RBI on a groundout that scored Cleveland’s first run in a 5–4 win. The following day, he notched his first MLB hit, a sharp ninth‑inning double in his first series appearance.
Kayfus’s promotion caps an impressive rise for Miami’s 2023 third‑round pick, who transformed into Cleveland’s No. 4 prospect and ranked No. 66 overall in MLB Pipeline’s top-100 list by summer.