Former Guardians IF becoming the energetic menace fans knew he could be with Yankees

It wasn’t that long ago when Amed Rosario was a mainstay in the Guardians’ lineup. No matter what was happening around the team, Rosario was seemingly always hitting second in the lineup and playing shortstop even when it was clear that his best role was as a utility player. 

That scenario has come true in the time since he left the Guardians, as he’s played for five different teams since he left Cleveland in 2023 and has bounced around the diamond for each of them. 

He’s currently serving that role on the New York Yankees, where he’s turned into a bit of a fan favorite given his versatility and knack for coming up big in the clutch. 

He did exactly that on Tuesday with a multi-homer game against The Athletics that was capitalized by a go-ahead three-run blast in the eighth inning that helped push the Yankees toward a win. 

The Yankees have figured out the proper way to use former Guardian Amed Rosario 

Although the Guardians were smart to trade Rosario away, his post-Cleveland success is a bit frustrating given how obvious it was that the Guardians were using him wrong. It’s the same situation they had with Myles Straw. 

By the end of his time with the Guardians, Rosario was worth an eye-popping -15 Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop while hitting .265.

Sure, he was one of the main pieces in the Guardians’ trade return for Francisco Lindor, but it was clear that it wasn’t working. 

The Guardians ended up trading him to the Los Angeles Dodgers at that year’s trade deadline, which led to him wandering through the baseball wilderness. 

But he’s found a new home in the Yankees, who traded for him at last year’s deadline. Although he only appeared in 16 games with New York last season, the Yankees still brought him back on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. 

And he’s made the most of that investment so far this season thanks to a .286 batting average with two home runs and five RBI through five games (though both of those homers came in New York’s win over The Athletics). 

Rosario’s first blast came in the second inning against another former Guardian in Aaron Civale. Civale left a sinker over the middle of the plate (sound familiar) and Rosario tattooed it 399 feet to left field to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. 

But that paled in comparison to his second home run, which was a no-doubt shot off Mark Leiter Jr. that traveled 414 feet (making it the longest homer hit at Yankee Stadium this year). 

Rosario dropped his bat as soon as he hit the ball and immediately started pounding his chest and screaming toward the Yankees’ dugout. 

Three years ago Rosario was so ineffective during his time with the Guardians that he ended up becoming a point of contention in the fanbase. Now he’s electrifying Yankee Stadium. 

Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery (and usage).