How Brayan Rocchio is following in José Ramírez's footsteps for Cleveland Guardians

José Ramírez, not unlike Brayan Rocchio, was optioned midway through his third season in the major leagues. Ramírez, more than 100 games into his MLB career, was sent down while hitting .188 in the early summer as the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off in their first of four Finals against the Golden State Warriors. His breakout moment didn’t even come until his walk-off single on the afternoon of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

Brayan Rocchio, a switch-hitting infielder like Ramírez, was optioned in May this season while hitting .165, with well over 170 games played in the bigs across three seasons. Ramírez returned to Cleveland for a playoff hunt that fell just short but finished the 2015 campaign with six home runs and a steadier .219 batting average. Rocchio, on a team sitting 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot in mid-September, has popped four home runs and raised his average all the way to .239.

In 64 games since being recalled, Rocchio is hitting .272 with four home runs and 32 RBIs. In 51 games after being recalled on August 3, 2015, Ramírez hit .251 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

While it’s a stretch to assume Rocchio will reach the heights of Ramírez, the former Top 100 prospect isn’t a bad bet to be a staple of the Cleveland Guardians’ lineup for the next few seasons. Remember, as most bats went cold last October, Rocchio hit 11-for-33 with a home run and five walks. Nicknamed “The Professor” for his high baseball IQ and advanced feel for the game, Rocchio’s newfound success doesn’t shock everyone.

“Brayan Rocchio should be the poster boy for the organization,” Cleveland Guardians analyst Chris Gimenez said yesterday on The BIG Factor via the BIGPLAY Sports Network. “I give that young man so much credit for taking the demotion the way he did.”

Gimenez highlighted the highs of Rocchio’s 2024 postseason success and how the crash of a rough first half the next season could have wrecked a young player’s confidence.

“He completely changed the trajectory of his career,” Gimenez said. “He’s one of those kids that’s really taken it to heart and worked on what they’ve asked him to work on.”