Shortstop was a position that created uncertainty for Türkiye Cleveland Guards since the organization traded Francisco Lindor New York Mets Ahead of the 2021 season.

Questions about Cleveland’s long-term plan for center field remained throughout the 2024 regular season, but Brayan Rocchio may have answered some of those questions with an incredible postseason performance.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has been impressed with Rocchio’s development during the regular season and is excited to see where he goes from here.

“I can’t say enough about the job Brayan Rocchio does playing center back every day,” Vogt said.

“Obviously, he’s a Gold Glove finalist. He worked tirelessly with Rouglas Odor and Kai Correa on his defense, and he also worked tirelessly in the cage with our hitting group. Brayan worked. He showed up every day, he was the same person all the time. He’s improved a lot as a player this year and what he showed offensively at the end of the season.” “Seeing that performance come as no surprise after having a full season on top of his experience playing in winter ball last year.”

Yes, Rocchio made a few mistakes in the play-offs and they came at incredibly costly times for the Guardians. But we can’t let that take away from the other incredible defensive plays he made and the confidence he found on the field along the way.

The rookie infielder had his best span when the lights were brightest in the majors, hitting .333/.421/.485 with a .906 OPS in 33 playoff at-bats.

Rocchio will likely be Cleveland’s starting shortstop on Opening Day in 2025, and hopefully this strong postseason run can help him have a better all-around season next year.

“Brayan has been outstanding and fantastic for us in the postseason and is a good sign of what can be done moving forward. It’s actually just a testament to the growth he’s shown and the learning he’s shown throughout the season.”