C.J. Kayfus Stats & Scouting Report

AB	464
AVG	.289
OBP	.398
SLG	.515
HR	21

Full name Collin Joseph Kayfus
Born 10/28/2001 in Boca Raton, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 188 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Miami
Drafted in the 3rd round (93rd overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023 (signed for $700,000).

View Draft Report

School: Miami Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Florida (S)
Age At Draft: 21.7
BA Grade:40/High
Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 40. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

Kayfus was an odd profile out of a high school as an undersized first baseman who lacked physicality and the power necessary to profile at a position on the bottom of the defensive spectrum. While he’s now a bit taller and around 20 pounds heavier, Kayfus is largely the same sort of prospect at Miami, though he has three seasons of solid offensive production to bolster his reputation as a solid pure hitter. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Kayfus is a contact hitter with solid bat-to-ball skills and a savvy batting eye. He made contact at a strong 81% clip in 2023 and paired a 15.2% strikeout rate with a 15.9% walk rate, and does a nice job using the entire field. He makes solid contact, but does not have the sort of raw power or elevated impact in games that bodes well for profiling at first base in pro ball. That was also the case for Kayfus during the 2022 summer with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League. Because of his hit-over-power offensive profile, there’s a chance teams sign him and try and see how he looks defensively in a corner outfield position, where the offensive bar will be a bit lower. He’s a fine defender at first, and has limited exposure in the outfield corners, but has the speed and athleticism to potentially be a fringy outfield defender with more experience.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: Kayfus has an established track record as a polished hitter dating to his high school days. He bolstered that reputation in three years with Miami, where he hit .350 over three seasons. The Guardians signed him for $700,000 in the third round of the 2023 draft. In 107 games between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron in 2024, Kayfus hit .291/.393/.511 with 17 home runs, a 12.3% walk rate and a 157 wRC+.

Scouting Report: Kayfus has battled a tweener profile for years as an undersized first baseman with a 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. He’s got a quiet setup in the box with a neutral stance and typical handset, with a soft hand press down and back during his load. His contact skills don’t stand out in a system stuffed with bat-to-ball merchants, but he pairs strong swing decisions with enough contact and great batted-ball angles. His barrel rate in 2024 was one of the best in Cleveland’s system, and while his top-end exit velocities and raw power are light for a first baseman, Kayfus showed an ability to tap into that power to his pull side with frequency. He could be the sort of hitter who is able to maximize the raw power he possesses, thanks to his feel for the barrel, but adding more bat speed and strength remains a key development goal. Kayfus will turn in fringy and average run times from home to first and moves around well enough to play an outfield corner in a pinch, though he’s still a below-average defender there. He’s an above-average or plus defender at first base with great athleticism for the position, along with reliable hands and footwork, albeit a fringy arm.

The Future: Kayfus has the hitting chops to profile as an everyday first baseman if he can unlock a bit more power. He should spend the entire 2025 season in the upper minors.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Field: 55 | Arm: 45.

Draft Prospects

School: Miami Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Florida (S)
Age At Draft: 21.7
BA Grade:40/High
Tools:Hit: 55. Power: 40. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

Kayfus was an odd profile out of a high school as an undersized first baseman who lacked physicality and the power necessary to profile at a position on the bottom of the defensive spectrum. While he’s now a bit taller and around 20 pounds heavier, Kayfus is largely the same sort of prospect at Miami, though he has three seasons of solid offensive production to bolster his reputation as a solid pure hitter. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Kayfus is a contact hitter with solid bat-to-ball skills and a savvy batting eye. He made contact at a strong 81% clip in 2023 and paired a 15.2% strikeout rate with a 15.9% walk rate, and does a nice job using the entire field. He makes solid contact, but does not have the sort of raw power or elevated impact in games that bodes well for profiling at first base in pro ball. That was also the case for Kayfus during the 2022 summer with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League. Because of his hit-over-power offensive profile, there’s a chance teams sign him and try and see how he looks defensively in a corner outfield position, where the offensive bar will be a bit lower. He’s a fine defender at first, and has limited exposure in the outfield corners, but has the speed and athleticism to potentially be a fringy outfield defender with more experience.
Kayfus has an odd profile as an undersized high school first baseman listed at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds with limited power. That combination is typically a non-starter for MLB clubs, but his standout hitting ability has kept scouting departments interested. Perhaps he’s not toolsy or physical enough to factor into 2020’s five-round draft—particularly as a perceived tough sign out of Miami—but teams expect him to make it to campus in Coral Gables and produce with the bat. There’s a chance he could play a corner outfield position at the next level, which could help his profile, but at the end of the day the bat is Kayfus’ calling card.