Whenever a highly touted prospect is on the verge of making his MLB debut, there’s always a great deal of excitement among fans and the organization. However, it’s also easy to forget about the players who are about to be replaced in the lineup.
The Cleveland Guardians could be facing that scenario at one position in particular during spring training. Though fans may be clamoring for No. 1 overall draft pick Travis Bazzana to take over at second base, Gabriel Arias may not be out of the picture.
Despite Bazzana’s status as the organization’s top overall prospect, analyst Joel Reuter is predicting that Arias will win the Guardians’ second base battle in spring training.
The Battle: Second base.
The Candidates: Gabriel Arias, Travis Bazzana.
“The Guardians could go with the light-hitting tandem of Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio at the middle infield spots again to open the 2026 season, but it’s only a matter of time before Travis Bazzana forces his way into the picture. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft posted an .813 OPS with 31 extra-base hits in 84 games while reaching Triple-A last season. Predicted Winner: Gabriel Arias,” Reuter wrote.
Cleveland could find a way to get both players into the lineup by leaving Arias at shortstop, where he played most of last season, and using Bazzana at second base. That would leave Rocchio without a position, which may be necessary as the Guardians try to boost their offense in 2026.
Rocchio batted just .233 with a .630 OPS and five home runs last season, and it may be hard to justify using him over Bazzana, who has much more upside at the plate. For his part, Arias hit just .220 with a .628 OPS and 11 homers.
He also made just 19 starts at second base in 2025, with 102 at shortstop. Rocchio started 56 games at short, which he likely would play in 2026 in this scenario, and 49 at second. Daniel Schneemann actually made the most starts at second base with 58.
Bazzana may be costing himself the spot initially by playing for his native Australia in the World Baseball Classic. It will cause him to miss valuable time at the major league camp adjusting to his new role and teammates, and with his history of multiple oblique injuries, there’s no guarantee he will emerge from the event healthy.
This may be more of a competition than anyone expected or wanted entering the 2026 season, but it seems likely that Bazzana will emerge as the starting second baseman by the end of the campaign.
NEXT: Young Guardians Infielder Has Something To Prove In Spring Training
