Cleveland Guardians infielder Juan Brito took the league by storm in his first taste of the majors. Promoted on April 7, he racked up five hits in his first three games, including two doubles.
At the time, the Guardians thought they had successfully replaced the surging Gabriel Arias, who suffered a significant hamstring strain, with a talented, young hitter with a long track record of success in the minor leagues. There’s a reason why MLB is considered the best and toughest league in the world for rookies, though.
Pitchers adjust quickly, and there’s more information available than ever before. They didn’t take long to spot Brito’s weaknesses, and he has struggled badly since those first three games in the majors.
“Cleveland Guardians 2B Juan Brito is now 1-22, hitting for a .045 AVG over his last seven games,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians (2B) Juan Brito is now (1-22) hitting for a .045 AVG over his last seven games.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 18, 2026
Brito, considered a bat-first prospect with defensive questions, made a game-saving play at second base on Thursday to preserve Cleveland’s win over Baltimore. And he had those three explosive games immediately after being promoted, so saying he hasn’t contributed to the Guardians would be denying the reality.
However, it’s also clear that the league has learned how to neutralize him, and now it’s his turn to adjust. For Cleveland, this is a blessing in disguise and a problem at the same time, because while that’s exactly how prospects learn and get better, the Guardians need every win they can get in what is shaping up to be an intense competition for postseason spots in the American League.
Right now, Brito is a liability at the plate, with a .478 OPS for the season. This leaves Cleveland with two options: the first one would be doubling down on the Brito experiment and giving him a few more weeks to figure things out and get out of his slump.
The second option is currently in Triple-A, and it’s actually the long-term solution at the keystone: Travis Bazzana. Service time considerations are the only thing keeping the former No. 1 pick from being promoted, because he is posting a 118 wRC+ in Columbus.
We shall find out which route they take soon enough.
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