The Cleveland Guardians are set at third base and second base.
Those are the positions where Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez, two of the stars of the roster, play.
However, shortstop remains up for grabs, and there is nothing that the Guards would love more than for Brayan Rocchio to take over the position and run away with it.
Rocchio has the defensive skills and the offensive potential to be an above-average shortstop, even if his 2023 numbers at the MLB level weren’t exactly good.
He just turned 23, so he is still very young and hasn’t hit his ceiling as a player.
He is still honing his skills and developing as a hitter, especially.
For now, he is playing in Venezuela’s winter league, LVBP (Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional), and leaving a major impression.
All day 🦈💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/avdOYCWhrE
— Brayan Rocchio (@rocchio05) January 16, 2024
As you can see in the Twitter post he sent this week, his confidence level is also at an all-time high.
“All day,” he wrote, and he has the numbers to back that up.
In 20 games in Venezuela this season, he is hitting .377/.457/.541 with a .998 OPS, one homer, and two steals.
He is essentially leading Tiburones de La Guaira, his team, to the Finals.
Tiburones is 10-1 in the “Round Robin” phase, where five teams compete for two spots in the final.
The next-best team, Cardenales de Lara, is 6-6.
Barring a disaster, Tiburones will play in the final.
They are doing it all without Ronald Acuna Jr.; led by Rocchio, Yasiel Puig, and others.
For Rocchio, competing at such a high level represents solid experience for him.
The Guardians sure hope he can translate that form to the regular season.
NEXT: Guardians Show Off Elite Group Of New International Additions
