Brayan Rocchio showed the Cleveland Guardians the player he could be in the second half of the 2025 season. Now, the Guaridans need him to do that, and more, in 2026.
Earlier this offseason, Stephen Vogt admitted the Cleveland Guardians' offense needed to be better but hoped much of that improvement could come from the continued development of the players already in the organization.
When looking at players who have shown obvious signs of improvement over the last few seasons, Brayan Rocchio immediately comes to mind. That said, the Guardians need Rocchio to progress in the right direction if they’re going to repeat as American Central Champions and reach the playoffs again in 2026.
A Tale of Two Halves for Brayan Rocchio#
Through the first half of the season, Rocchio looked lost at the plate, to say the least. Through Rocchio’s first 102 plate appearances of the season, he had a wRC+ of 25 and an OPS of .433. After a rough start, Cleveland optioned Rocchio to Triple-A on May 12.
The Guardias brought the infielder back up on July 1 as Gabriel Arias went on the injury list, and Rocchio looked like a completely different player at the plate from that point on.
After being recalled, Rocchio recorded a slash line of .257/.310/.391. He especially excelled in July, finishing the month with a .753 OPS.
The switch-hitter was seeing the ball so well at the plate that when Arias returned, Vogt slid Rocchio over to second base instead of shortstop just to keep his bat in the lineup.
This is exactly the type of progress the Guardians need to continue to see out of Rocchio.
Sep 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Brayan Rocchio (4) fields a ball hit by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesRocchio Could Be The Future Shortstop of The Guardians#
Let’s flash forward to July of 2026.
With Travis Bazzana's debut imminent and Juan Brito likely having a role at some point next season, Rocchio could very well be Cleveland’s starting shortstop if he continues to show signs of development and starts next season the way he ended last.
Rocchio Is Out Of Options#
Probably the biggest reason that the Guardians need Rocchio to continue to progress is that he’s out of minor league options.
The 24-year-old will be on Cleveland’s Opening Day roster, but if he struggles during the first half of the season, Rocchio won’t have the same luxury of going back down to Triple-A to figure out his wing.
If Rocchio doesn’t look like the hitter he was in August of 2025, the Guardians could be forced to make a tough decision with a player who was once considered one of the top prospects in their farm system not too long ago.