Analyst Believes Prospect Is Frontrunner To Get Guardians 2B Job

The Cleveland Guardians still have to figure out who will be their starting second baseman for the 2025 season.

Mar 27, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Infielder Juan Brito fields a ball at second base during Columbus Clippers practice at Huntington Park. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Guardians have some big decisions to make over the next few weeks. Arguably, the biggest question that needs to be answered is who the second baseman is to start the season.

Even as spring training games started, the candidates remain the same: Angel Martinez, Daniel Schneemann, Gabriel Arias, and Juan Brito.

The question is, who will get the nod at the right side of the infield for Opening Day? Mike Axisa, MLB analyst for CBS Sports, wrote in a recent article that he believes that Juan Brito is the frontrunner for the position right now.

"I think Brito is the best candidate for the job and likely to win it," wrote Axisa.

"He's not a tippy top prospect, but Brito has an interesting skill set (switch-hitter, some power, good plate discipline, adequate defense) and he proved himself in Triple-A last summer. He did everything he needed to do."

Apr 3, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Clippers third baseman Juan Brito (24) warms up prior to the Opening Day game against the Omaha Storm Chasers at Huntington Park. / Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

Brito may not be the top prospect in Cleveland's organization. However, he certainly can help this Guardians team win right now, and that's exactly what they need.

Brito's defense will never be comparable to Andres Gimenez's, but his bat could really separate him from the rest of the pack.

Over the last two seasons at Triple-A, Brito has a .255/.367/.439 slash line with a .806 OPS. The 23-year-old has also been able to produce those numbers with a pretty solid consistency.

That said, the competition for second base is still likely to be very close. His closest competitor is Arias, who is off to a strong start to a strong start to the spring and has previous big-league experience under his belt.

Seeing who takes reps at second base and shows the most offensive potential will continue to be a massive storyline of the spring.

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