When the Cleveland Guardians traded second baseman Andrés Giménez to the Toronto Blue Jays in the offseason, it created a world of possibilities for the team regarding second base.
Among the multiple options the organization had for the keystone, minor leaguer Juan Brito was considered the favorite to take over the position.
He got off to a horrible start in the Cactus League, though, and despite the fact his play started to improve towards the end of it, the Guardians decided to go with Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann to handle second base duties to open the year.
They sent Brito to Triple-A and determined that he had to earn his place on the MLB roster.
The minor league season is still very young, but he has left a fantastic impression in the first few games.
“Brito’s first 12 games of 2025: AVG .326, OBP .412, SLG .488, OPS .900,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Brito's first 12 games of 2025:
AVG .326
OBP .412
SLG .488
OPS .900 https://t.co/h6URxvPDYw— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 12, 2025
Brito showed last year that playing in Triple-A is no longer a challenge for him.
He posted a solid 113 wRC+ with 61 extra-base hits, including 21 home runs and 40 doubles.
Still, a player can always get better, and that’s what Cleveland would love to see from him.
There is a good chance he won’t improve anymore if he doesn’t face MLB pitching on a consistent basis, though.
Still, there isn’t a clear opening for him in the majors, not at the moment at least, so the Guards prefer to have him play every day in Columbus.
His chance will come, and he knows it.
Injuries and slumps happen every time, and it only takes a few developments for him to get his shot.
He has to be worthy of it and show he deserves it.
So far, that’s exactly what’s happening.
NEXT: Injured Guardians Pitcher Takes Important Step In His Recovery
