The Cleveland Guardians have a number of high-profile prospects ready to make their mark in the 2026 season. The arrivals of Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have been anticipated for quite some time, and their potential has the fan base brimming with excitement.
However, with all of the attention being focused on them, other players may be getting lost in the shuffle. It’s possible that even more young players will emerge and find a place on the team.
Young Guardians infielder Juan Brito is among those who have something to prove in spring training as he tries to reestablish himself as a future star.
“Brito will be given every chance to make the 2026 Opening Day roster this year in spring training after missing the majority of 2025 season due to injuries,” Guardians Prospective wrote on X.
Cleveland 24yr old switch-hitting INF prospect Juan Brito looking sharp in a #Guardians uniform.
Brito will be given every chance to make the 2026 Opening Day roster this year in spring training after missing the majority of 2025 season due to injuries. #Guardsball pic.twitter.com/FEEh9AB2jW
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 17, 2026
Brito is entering his fourth season with the organization, and his status has gone up and down since arriving during the 2022 offseason in a trade that sent Nolan Jones to the Colorado Rockies. Brito was ranked as the Guardians’ No. 18 overall prospect by MLB.com in 2023, then rose up to No. 7 in 2024 before falling back to No. 14 in 2025.
He may have had a chance to be called up last season, but thumb surgery and a hamstring injury limited him to 24 games in Triple-A. The year before, he appeared in 144 games for Columbus and had an OPS of .808 with 21 homers.
Brito recovered from his injuries and was able to play winter ball as he prepared for the 2026 campaign. He played first base and second base there, and also played right field in the minors.
The Guardians have several options to play second base, with Bazzana, Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio all in the mix, and Kyle Manzardo is being counted on to be the everyday first baseman. However, Brito’s versatility could land him a role on the roster to start the season, or he could be called up if there is an injury.
After signing with Colorado as an international free agent back in 2018, Brito has yet to make his MLB debut, but it seems likely to happen at some point this season.
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