Guardians Infielder Is Finally Starting To Produce At The Plate

For months, the Cleveland Guardians have employed Brayan Rocchio as their shortstop most days.

And, for months, he has mostly struggled at the plate.

For the season, he is slashing .215/.301/.331 with a .632 OPS.

He does have eight home runs and nine stolen bases, plus some excellent defense at short.

The overall offensive output, however, hadn’t been there.

But recent (and not so recent) games suggest he has matured and perhaps taken a step forward offensively.

“Last 7 games: .368/.409/.684 (1.093 OPS), 2 HR, 5 RBI. Last 15 games: .300/.370/.525 (.895 OPS), 3 HR, 6 RBI. Last 30 games: .263/.329/.487 (.816 OPS), 5 HR, 13 RBI. What a stretch from Brayan Rocchio. This is huge!, Guardians’ fan account @ClaseInSession posted on X.

Last 7 games:

.368/.409/.684 (1.093 OPS)
2 HR, 5 RBI

Last 15 games:

.300/.370/.525 (.895 OPS)
3 HR, 6 RBI

Last 30 games:

.263/.329/.487 (.816 OPS)
5 HR, 13 RBI

What a stretch from Brayan Rocchio. This is huge! pic.twitter.com/hoM52GQInV

— ClaseInSession (@ClaseInSession) September 7, 2024

With his excellent glove at a premium position, Rocchio doesn’t even need to be an offensive star to justify his everyday status: all he need is to be an average hitter.

The overall body of work is concerning, but the recent performance is awfully encouraging.

Rocchio’s performance might be just a hot streak, or could be the start of something sustainable.

Only time will reveal which one is it, but the Guardians badly needed him to show something.

Many fans were already calling for other alternatives for the Guards to deploy at shortstop.

With Rocchio actually producing at the plate, the bottom of Cleveland’s lineup can actually have some value and inflict some damage and respect.

Some people in the organization were patient enough to wait him out, and he is finally starting to repay that faith with excellent performances at the plate.

Cleveland is, without a doubt, a better team with Rocchio playing at his current level.