The Cleveland Guardians are particularly strong in the infield when it comes to young players and prospects.
They have two-time Gold Glover Andrés Giménez playing second every day, Angel Martinez, Juan Brito and Angel Genao on the way, and of course superstar Jose Ramirez playing third and signed for the long-term.
You can go ahead and add Brayan Rocchio to that list even though he wasn’t an asset offensively in 2024.
The organization loves the work he put in this season when analyzing all aspects of the game, not just the offense.
“I can’t speak enough about the job Brayan Rocchio did playing shortstop.” Stephen Vogt continues to praise Rocchio for his development last season,” Guardians on SI posted.
"I can't speak enough about the job Brayan Rocchio did playing shortstop."
Stephen Vogt continues to praise Rocchio for his development last season. https://t.co/1br0GDVrlp
— Cleveland Guardians On SI (@GuardiansOnSI) October 26, 2024
Rocchio was one of the best defensive shortstops in the league.
He is nominated for his first Gold Glove award alongside Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe.
He is athletic and has range and arm, not to mention elite instincts for the position.
Rocchio, additionally, has some pop and speed.
His OPS was a disappointing .614 in the regular season, but the team is confident he can improve based on two key facts.
One, he had an amazing postseason with a .906 OPS.
And two, he is a career .775 OPS hitter in the minor leagues.
Prospect development isn’t linear, and that doesn’t automatically mean that Rocchio will return a .775 OPS in MLB next year.
However, the number does tell us that there is more offensive upside than he has shown.
2025 can be a key season for him, and the ingredients are there for a step forward at the plate.
Vogt knows it and wants to be patient.
NEXT: Guardians Top Prospect Is Red-Hot In The Arizona Fall League
