The Cleveland Guardians need most of their players to meet or exceed expectations to have a solid chance at making the postseason and, potentially, go on a deep run once there. They have the surging superstar in Jose Ramirez, and they have the young core to support him. That’s the theory, at least.
Shortstop Brayan Rocchio exceeded expectations in the first half. He combined elite defense with modest power and an improving bat, and produced a 113 wRC+ before the break. He was, comfortably, an above-average offensive performer.
Then, the second half came around, and he turned back into a pumpkin. As painful as it is to say and admit it, there’s no other way around it: Rocchio reverted back to his old ways and is, again, an offensive liability.
Before accounting for Wednesday’s game, in which he was benched for rookie Angel Genao, the slick-fielding shortstop had a .181/.217/.257 line in the second half, with a .474 OPS and a 30 wRC+. That means he has been 70 percent worse than the league-average hitter after the All-Star break.
That kind of offensive futility makes Rocchio borderline unplayable. It already resulted in a demotion to Triple-A in early 2025, and could force the team into some uncomfortable decisions this time around if things don’t improve considerably.
The Guardians have a decision to make. They have three legitimate options to plug and play at the middle infield positions: Rocchio, Genao, and Travis Bazzana, with the latter only being capable of playing the keystone. Two of them, Rocchio and Bazzana, are struggling offensively, but at least the former No. 1 overall pick has shown glimpses.
Rocchio, on the other hand, is risking the loss of playing time if he can’t turn things around. Manager Stephen Vogt could very well roll with Genao at short and Bazzana at second, relegating Rocchio to a reserve role. Will he do it? Only time will tell.
Rocchio is, by far, the superior fielder of the three, but his floor as a hitter can be frustratingly low. Can he turn around his fate and regain the form that earned him universal praise in the first half?
NEXT: Guardians Suffer Ugly Loss As Toronto Ties Series
