Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) throws to first for an out during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images David Dermer-Imagn Images

Promising Guardians Infielder Must Build On Rookie Season

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 21, 2025 7:00 AM ET

At one point, Andres Gimenez was viewed as an option as the future long-term shortstop of the Cleveland Guardians. However, that path was taken off the table following the shocking trade earlier this offseason.

The Guardians are now putting a lot of faith in Brayan Rocchio to be their franchise cornerstone on the left side of the infield for the foreseeable future.

Rocchio was once one of the top prospects in Cleveland's farm system, and at just 24 years old, his potential is still there. However, the Guardians will need Rocchio to build on his rookie season if they are to consider him a long-term option at shortstop.

Rocchio hit just .213/.295/.317 with an OPS+ of 76 during the regular season. He left a lot to be desired on the plate, especially with his power stats.

However, the young infielder turned that narrative around during the postseason and was one of the Guardian's best overall players in the playoffs. In 33 at-bats, Rocchio hit .333/.421/.485 with an OPS of .906 during Cleveland's ALCS run.

The biggest question that remains is whether the Guardians will get more of the playoff Rocchio they saw or the regular-season Rocchio, who was a below-average bat.

FanGraphs' recent ZiPS projections offer insight into what type of season Rocchio could have at the plate during the 2025 season.

The famous prediction system projects Rocchio's slash line at .241/.315/.359. It also forecasts that the shortstop will tap a little bit more into the power we saw during the playoffs, with Rocchio predicted to hit nine home runs and 25 doubles this year.

One of the most encouraging parts of this projection is that Rocchio's BABIP will increase from .245 in 2024 to .290 in 2025. This uptick would mean that Rocchio is barreling more balls and making better and harder contact overall than he did a year ago.

Rocchio's defense at shortstop was largely solid last season. He made a ton of strides following some early-season miscues and finished the year in the 89th percentile with five outs above average, which ranked fourth in his position in the American League.

Yes, Rocchio had some poorly timed errors against the New York Yankees in the postseason. But that shouldn't take away from an overall solid defensive season.

If these ZiPS projections are any indication of what type of player Rocchio will be next season, the Guardians could be looking at a legitimating building block of the future.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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