This is something that is often frustrating for baseball players, but Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio is taking it in stride. The 25-year-old recently opened up about the team continuing to bat him ninth in their lineup.
When asked about what makes him so comfortable batting in the ninth spot, Rocchio gave a short and quick response.
“That’s my home,” said Rocchio to reporters on Saturday.
"That's my home"#Guardians Brayan Rocchio broke down what makes him so comfortable in the 9th spot in the lineup#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/2m5DatX6PQ
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 19, 2026
He continued by saying that the ninth spot is basically the only spot he has even been, so that’s where he’s most comfortable. He knows that he’ll have Bo Naylor in front of him and Steven Kwan ahead of him in the lineup.
It’s great to see a player so comfortable and well-adjusted in his role with the team. Rocchio knows where he fits in the lineup and is perfectly fine with the way Steven Vogt manages this team. The decision to keep Rocchio in the nine-hole appears to be working to begin the season.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Rocchio is slashing .222/338/.397 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and nine walks in 21 games. The young shortstop has never hit for average at the big league level, but that’s perfectly fine. The increased walk rate is great to see and hopefully something that will continue going forward.
Rocchio came up big for the Guardians during Saturday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles. He smacked a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give his team a two-run lead. The Guardians would end up holding onto the lead and winning this game thanks to Rocchio’s 357-foot blast off right-hander Dean Kremer.
The young shortstop is currently carrying a five-game hitting streak into Sunday’s series finale against the O’s. During that span, Rocchio is 6-for-16 at the plate with five RBI and four runs scored. It’s great to see Rocchio finally turning it around with the bat after a 3-for-25 slump at the plate. The hope is that Rocchio will continue to build confidence at the plate as the season goes on.
NEXT: Ex-Guardian Reveals What Makes Jose Ramirez Unlike Any Player
