It’s not a secret that the Cleveland Guardians have a hard time scoring runs most days.
On Thursday, for example, their starter, Gavin Williams, tossed six scoreless frames and they still lost 2-1.
One of the reasons they have struggled so much is the lack of production from the shortstop position.
Brayan Rocchio started the year there and was demoted after another prolonged slump at the plate.
The Guards moved on with Gabriel Arias taking over the position.
Arias, if you remember, looked like a breakout star in the first few weeks of the year.
However, he has been putting up some disappointing numbers for a while now.
The numbers, as always, don’t lie.
“Arias… last 34 games: 21-118, 7R, 9(2B), 1HR, 10RBI, 8BB, 45SO. AVG .178, OBP .248, OPS .537,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Arias… last 34 games:
21-118 7R 9(2B) 1HR 10RBI 8BB 45SO
AVG .178
OBP .248
OPS .537— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 19, 2025
A .537 OPS is, unfortunately, Rocchio territory.
The last thing Cleveland wants is for their shortstop replacement to hit exactly like the man he replaced.
Arias made adjustments in the offseason to be more prepared to face MLB pitching.
After taking a long look at him for a few weeks, pitchers have now learned to attack Arias differently.
Basically, they have adjusted back.
Now, it’s Arias’ turn.
That’s life in the best and most difficult league in the world.
The Guardians badly need him to get going.
If he doesn’t, he risks losing his starting spot to Daniel Schneemann when Juan Brito returns and the organization deems him ready for a call-up to the major leagues.
The middle infield is also a position that the Guardians could look to upgrade before the trade deadline.
In other words, Arias needs to produce to avoid losing playing time or, worse yet, his roster spot.
NEXT: Guardians Prospect Is Being Compared To Grady Sizemore
