Guardians Young Infielder Could Be Primed For Big Shot At Key Lineup Slot

Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez opened the season hitting third. He did so until May 13, when he started being penciled in the second slot of the lineup on a nightly basis.

Ramirez, however, will now be out until at least July, but there’s a slight chance his absence could extend into August. He broke his hamate bone this past weekend, on Saturday, and has been placed on the 10-day injured list.

The Guardians have lost not just the most important player on the team, but also their two-hole hitter. Those are big shoes to fill at a premium lineup slot.

The team looked set to use Brayan Rocchio, their ninth-hitter, in the two-hole on Sunday before the game was postponed. The young infielder is probably the best option to replace Ramirez there for as long as he’s out, as he has broken out this season.

“Right now Rocchio looks like he’s earned a chance at that spot and we should get an opportunity to see just what he’s able to produce,” Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga said.

Rocchio is having a career-best season so far, hitting .274/.353/.399 with a 113 wRC+ that actually ranks first on the team among regulars. He has been, offensively at least, better than Ramirez this year if we strictly use wRC+ to compare them.

Of course, Ramirez is far and away the Guardians’ best and most important player, but Rocchio’s 2.0 fWAR is not far from J-Ram’s 2.3. He has matured and developed into an underrated star.

Noga also said that Rocchio makes sense at the second spot of the lineup because he has experience there, boasts incredible contact skills, and can also run a bit. He also learned to take more walks, hence the improved OBP.

There’s one thing to keep in mind, though: the mental adjustment from hitting in the bottom third of the lineup to moving to a prime spot.

“He’s got all the talent to do that job,” Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes said. “I just hope when he gets a shot there, he doesn’t try to do too much. Just keeps the same mindset that he had at the bottom of the lineup and just carries that into the top of the lineup.”

Basically, Hoynes says that Rocchio shouldn’t change his approach just because he is now hitting at a different spot, should he be chosen as Ramirez’s replacement. All he needs to do is let his talent do the talking, without trying to be a world-beater.