Brayan Rocchio has been providing Guardians with superstar shortstop play 

For four straight years from 2016 to 2019, Francscio Lindor provided the Cleveland Guardians with All-Star play from the shortstop position. 

While Lindor’s time eventually came to an end after the truncated 2020 season with an inevitable trade to the Mets, Lindor’s run during the late 2010s was a sight to behold. 

Fast forward to this year and Brayan Rocchio has made it look like the 2010s again thanks to an incredibly productive run at shortstop that could end with him earning a nod to this year’s All-Star game in Philadelphia. 

Brayan Rocchio’s game has grown in every way

Rocchio entered play on Saturday ninth in the American League in batting average (.293) along with leading all 9-hole hitters in hits (48), runs (24) and RBI (26). Not only has he been productive, but he’s been productive in a way that no other hitter in baseball has been. 

“He’s off to a great start,” manager Stephen Vogt said earlier today. “We’ve seen this progression over the past couple years of him understanding who he is. He’s played a great shortstop and his bat’s been great. I’m very proud of him.” 

Rocchio ended the 2022 season ranked as the Guardians’ No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, but he debuted with 23 underwhelming games in 2023 before looking a bit better in 2024.

But all the goodwill he generated in that season via his “Rocctober” antics went away at the start of last season when he struggled so badly he had to be sent down to Triple-A. 

He got called back up in the middle of the season and impressed after re-inventing himself as a second baseman, which seemed like his long-term position. 

But then the equation changed when Gabriel Arias suffered a hamstring injury in the middle of April and Rocchio had to slide back over to short. 

He’s slashed .293/.374/.414 in 56 games at short this year and has been worth 1.9 fWAR at short, which is the third-best mark among American League shortstops behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Kevin McGonigle. 

Part of the reason he’s been able to build such a strong number has been his work on the base paths (nine steals) and field (2 Outs Above Average). 

Those nine steals are just one away from his career-high of 10, which Vogt said is due in large part to the work Rocchio’s put in behind the scenes with baserunning coach J.T. Maguire and first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. 

Rocchio’s never going to be the kind of pure power hitter that Lindor was during his peak, but he’s become an incredibly productive player at arguably the most important position in baseball. 

That could end up being the difference for the Guardians this year.

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