Brayan Rocchio's Slow But Steady Progression
Baseball is a game that tests our patience, even when we're at our wit's end for players and fans alike. In a 162-game season, it's easy to lose sight that progress is far from linear or even a dramatic transformation as the season unfolds. Brayan Rocchio's story is a classic case of not judging a book by its cover. Many in the fanbase formed their opinions before the first few chapters were even written, some not even willing to hear the elevator pitch. Sure, at 5'10 and 170lb, he is a throwback to shortstops lost to time, since the game is now filled with SSs who are 6'2 or taller with cannon arms and super freak abilities. It was easy to look at the slick-fielding diminutive Venezuelan native and think, "Why are we wasting our time with this guy?" especially when the early results weren't positive in his first proper chance as an everyday player, despite all the hemming and hawing about what Rocchio can and can't do, if you haven't been paying close attention it's easy to overlook that he's been a helpful player whose improved process is starting to become better results at the plate.
Intangibles and self-awareness are always the hardest things to grasp from a distance. Still, over the two and a half months, Rocchio has not only improved his own game but also realized what the Guardos needed from him at the bottom of the order: being on base via a walk is better than not being on at all. His walk rate has gradually risen. Going from an 8.6% walk rate in April to rising it to 16.5% in May, from a paltry .275 OPS to .337 OPS, passing the baton to hitters like Kwan, Jose, and Andres Gimenez to drive him in. It isn't a coincidence he is now 6th on the team in runs, being positive at the bottom of the order even if the hits weren't coming early on. However, the process built on patience and lowering his chase rate is now finally being rewarded.
Rocchio's WRC+ by month
April: 58
May: 79
June so far: 109
The month of June has been what the Guardians organization has been looking for, with a slashline of .258/.324/.516, including his first two career home runs to boot. His improved understanding of the zone has now led to him driving the ball at the best rate of his young MLB career. His isolated power (his slugging average subtracted from his batting average) is .258, demonstrating this exact point. He is now understanding what he can and can't handle when swinging the lumber at the big league level. A player who came up the system and had good bat-to-ball skills is now tapping into the power he's demonstrated at all levels of the minors. The transformation of Brayan Rocchio might not be filled with tons of fireworks, but his steady progress has been a welcome sight during his rookie season.
In this instant-gratification world, it's easy to get impatient about something, especially when it's not the player you want manning the Shortstop position. The Guardians have been trying to find their long-term answer to who will be Andres Gimenez's double-play partner. Rocchio already was one of the best defensive players in the game, with a defensive WAR of 1.0, being ranked in the top ten in baseball. Now, the bat is starting to catch up. The progress might be slower than what people like, but the progress he's been making with the bat is nothing to be overlooked anymore.