Shortstop is one of the weakest links on the Cleveland Guardians.
Brayan Rocchio has started most games in that position, but his offensive output has been disappointing, to say the least.
There are no complaints about his defense: he is a perfectly solid fielder at shortstop.
But the Guardians need him to do better than the .209/.297/.319 line and .616 OPS he has posted, before taking the field on Thursday afternoon.
One of the Guardians coaches, Kai Correa, believes in his talent, though.
“I think his better days are ahead of him offensively and I think he’s buoyed us defensively.” @CleGuardians major league field coordinator Kai Correa is a big believer in Brayan Rocchio at just 23 years old,” Bally Sports Cleveland tweeted.
"I think his better days are ahead of him offensively and I think he's buoyed us defensively."@CleGuardians major league field coordinator Kai Correa is a big believer in Brayan Rocchio at just 23 years old. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/R6rhpqhXdW
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) August 22, 2024
Rocchio had an amazing offseason with Tiburones De La Guaira in Venezuela’s professional league.
Then, he had a .711 OPS for the Guardians in spring training.
Considering the fact he had a .788 OPS in 116 games in Triple-A last year, everyone in the organization believed he could be a decent MLB hitter in 2024.
However, he has failed to impress as an MLB hitter, posting a .600 OPS in 23 major league games last year and a .616 mark in 111 contests this year.
Given his minor league performance, there might be some untapped offensive potential there and Correa knows it.
He knows Rocchio very well and sees him train every day.
No one is expecting him to hit like Bobby Witt Jr. or Gunnar Henderson, but something closer to a .700 OPS would make him a solid regular considering his defense, sneaky power (six home runs) and speed (nine steals).
Correa thinks better days are ahead for Rocchio.
Only time will tell.
NEXT: Guardians Need 2 Struggling Stars To Get Going At the Plate
