Cleveland Guardians Executive Has High Praise for Young Infielder

A member of the Cleveland Guardians front office is encouraged by how Brayan Rocchio has looked during spring training.

Tommy Wild | Mar 10, 2025

May 24, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) throws to first base during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images / Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Guardians

Despite a wildley successful 2024 season, the Cleveland Guardians still had one of the youngest rosters in MLB and have plenty of area for growth and improvement.

One player who is developing right before our eyes is Guardians starting shortstop Brayan Rocchio.

The young infielder had a less-than-stellar regular season at the plate but turned into a different hitter come the playoffs.

So far, through spring training, Rocchio has continued to show that a switch has flipped in terms of his offensive production.

Mike Chernoff, Guardians' General Manager, recently praised Rocchio's performance in training camp this spring.

"Brayan put in a tremendous amount of work on both his physical and fundamental preparation this offseason. We're excited to see him build on his first full season from last year," said Chernoff (via Jim Bowden of The Athletic).

Oct 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) celebrates after hitting a double during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers during game two of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

In eight games and 20 at-bats, Rocchio is hitting .450/.476/.650 with an OPS of 1.126.

Those stats don't show how well the shortstop has impacted the ball during his Cactus League appearances. Chernoff alluded that Rocchio came into camp with more muscle, and that's been clear with how hard the infielder has been hitting the ball.

Even though Cleveland was in the ALCS just a few months ago, it still has some serious unknowns in its lineup. It's really counting on Rocchio to step up and show this growth during the regular season.

If Rocchio can be an average to slightly above-average league hitter, he could provide a spark in the second half of the lineup while flipping it back over to the top of the order.

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