Who is Jose Tena? Everything you need to know about Guardians top prospect that made first MLB start

It was a dream come true for Cleveland Guardians prospect Jose Tena, who made his first start in the MLB on Thursday. The 22-year-old infielder made his debut as the ninth batter in the lineup against Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays. While it was an important matchup in the American League postseason race, that was no issue for Tena, who delivered in a big way for his club.

Not only did the Cleveland Guardians pick up an important 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, but Jose Tena also proved to the club that he can produce at the MLB level. The 22-year-old finished his first full game by recording two hits with an RBI and a run scored.

"For what it’s worth, the Guardians were never low on José Tena. He absolutely dominated the Arizona Fall League when they sent him there. He won a Minor League Gold Glove. They also don’t send players to the AZFL that they don’t believe in." - @FranmilsEyebrow

Born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, Tena joined the Cleveland Guardians organization as an international free agent in 2017. His professional baseball debut came in 2018 when he was a member of the Dominican Summer League Indians.

Over the next few seasons, Jose Tena slowly worked his way through the Cleveland minor-league system. The Dominican infielder made stops in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Columbus Clippers, the Guardians Triple-A affiliate team.

"Hey Clippers Fans! Last night, José Tena was the latest to complete his Road to the Show, making his big league debut for Cleveland! You can keep track of the Clippers players and their debuts by following our Road to the Show announcements presented by @nationwide" - @CLBClippers

If Thursday's performance with the Cleveland Guardians is any indication, Tena has a promising MLB career ahead of him.

Jose Tena's MLB debut came on the heels of an iconic moment

While Thursday's matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays was Tena's first MLB start, it was not his official MLB debut. His official debut came on Saturday, Aug. 5, against the Chicago White Sox.

Tena entered the game as a pinch-runner after the now iconic fist-fight between Jose Ramirez and Tim Anderson. The rookie was called upon by manager Terry Francona to replace Ramirez in the lineup. He was hitless in his only two at-bats on Saturday.