Juan Brito Making Strong Case For Long-Term Starting Second Base Job Since Promotion

The Cleveland Guardians promoted Juan Brito to the major league roster with hopes that he could hold down the middle of the infield alongside Brayan Rocchio while Gabriel Arias recovers from a lower-body injury.

But instead of just providing serviceable play, Brito has looked like an experienced veteran while at the plate.

On Saturday, April 11, Brito didn't record a hit in four plate appearances, but got on base twice by drawing walks. The Guardians would go on to take down the Atlanta Braves, 6-0, to tie up the series at one.

Brito currently has two walks drawn to just one strikeout in four games of major league action, all while posting five hits and two doubles.

That mix of a keen eye and extra-base pop has allowed the Guardians to settle in nicely without Arias, who was raking before his injury, and still get similar productivity from the plate.

He is currently recording a slashing line of .357/.438/.500 for an OPS of .938. With a total of five hits, he now has more than CJ Kayfus, Kyle Manzardo, Bo Naylor and David Fry, all of whom have had more at-bats than him. He also has more doubles than Arias, Fry, Kayfus, Manzardo, Naylor and Brayan Rocchio.

Currently, he's one of two players with more walks than strikeouts as well, with the only other being Rocchio.

But this level of play hasn't just come out of thin air.

If it wasn't for a thumb and hamstring injuries that held him back in 2025, there was a good chance that he would've made his major league debut last season. Back in 2024, he was one of the Guardians' best bats at the Triple-A level, slashing .256/.365/.443 with 21 home runs and a strong 13 stolen bases.

As he's displaying now in the big leagues, he has a good mix of speed, pop and consistency.

His plate discipline was also something that made him an intriguing prospect. He ranked high in Chase%, Whiff%, K% and BB%, which were all positive signs that he would be able to translate his Triple-A production to the major league level.

The only question now is if he can begin to become more reliable on the defensive end and potentially even expand the positions he's comfortable playing. He has had a few blunders at second base, with one recorded error across 35 innings.

In the minors, he spent time at first, second and third base, while also getting opportunities to play in right field and at shortstop. Cleveland would benefit greatly from that type of utility role if he could become at least somewhat trustworthy in those areas defensively.

Bazzana Over Brito

While many analysts and fans alike wanted to see Bazzana get the nod over Brito, the Guardians' front office trusted that the 24-year-old was ready for the call.

"There’s always thought, but we’ve been excited about Juan for a long time," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said at the time. "This is about Juan Brito. Travis [Bazzana] is going to help us win a lot of games, but this is Juan Brito’s turn."

Bazzana is still trying to get his feet underneath himself in Triple-A, while Brito has been consistently producing there. With the long-term timeline favoring Bazzana, mainly since Cleveland decided to use a No. 1 pick on him, the front office had to at least test out Brito and see what he looked like with a real opportunity.

And if he can keep this up, there's a real future where Brito has a starting spot in Cleveland, even if Bazzana does eventually get called up too.

For now, though, the argument surrounding the promotion of Bazzana or Brito should come to a rest, especially as Brito continues to provide the Guardians' lineup with a consistent ability to get on base.