At 14-11, the Cleveland Guardians are first in the AL Central, holding off other talented squads looking to take their divisional crown. Of course, a team with such a good record has had to get excellent contributions from multiple sources.
Rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter carried the lineup in the early days, and now that he appears to be cooling off (although he did have a key three-run triple on Tuesday), Jose Ramirez is doing the heavy lifting in the lineup, with Gavin Williams and Parker Messick dominating on the mound.
Nobody is talking about Brayan Rocchio, though. And they should be paying attention.
Rocchio, the Guardians’ ninth-hitter, had another nice game on Tuesday, going 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. You won’t believe what his season line is looking like, but we’ll tell you anyway: .284/.384/.446, 141 wRC+, three home runs, 15 RBI, 10 walks, and just 10 strikeouts.
That’s right: Rocchio is playing like an All-Star right now, and even though he is bound to cool off at some point, he has made some important gains. Guardians Prospective explained that a key offseason decision might be behind his success.
“Rocchio worked with a new hitting instructor this off-season, former big leaguer Martin Prado, down in Florida. So far, so good, as Rocchio has been one of the team’s best hitters to start the season,” the analyst posted.
Rocchio worked with a new hitting instructor this off-season former big leaguer Martin Prado down in Florida. So far so good as Rocchio has been one of the team's best hitters to start the season. https://t.co/PZc3pLGGeM
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 21, 2026
If you followed the league in the 2000s and 2010s, you probably remember Prado. He was a steady contact hitter who reached All-Star status in 2010 and was a sure bet to log 170-180 hits per season in his prime. He retired with a .287 batting average, so he knows a thing or two about hitting.
Having him work with Rocchio has worked wonders for the young infielder so far. His underlying contact metrics look about the same as last year, but the plate discipline gains have been remarkable.
Rocchio is swinging less, and the patient approach appears to be working and helping him get into better counts. If he can keep this up, Cleveland’s middle infield could go from being a liability to a strong point.
Rocchio only needs to be a league-average offensive shortstop to justify his place in the starting lineup every night. So far, he is exceeding expectations on that front.
NEXT: Guardians Offense Comes Alive In Late Innings To Beat Astros
