Brayan Rocchio Stats & Scouting Report

AB	383
AVG	.206
OBP	.298
SLG	.316
HR	8

Full name Brayan Hommy Rocchio
Born 01/13/2001 in Caracas, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: S / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: Rocchio was nicknamed “The Professor” soon after signing in 2017 because of his preternatural baseball IQ and feel for the game. Those traits helped him hit the ground running in pro ball, and he’s been on an accelerated track from the beginning. He reached Double-A Akron in 2021 as a 20-year-old, despite travel issues in 2020 that left him stuck in Venezuela during the pandemic. Rocchio was added to the 40-man roster after that season and the following year reached Triple-A Columbus. He made his major league debut May 16, 2023, and went up and down a couple times during the season, appearing in 23 games for the Guardians.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically, but he has solid all-around tools that play up even further thanks to his game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio has grown into more power as he’s physically matured and worked more on strength training, and now has average power potential. It plays mostly as doubles pop. Rocchio has long since answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position. He’s also seen time at second and third base to give him more versatility. Even in the big leagues, the vast majority of his time has been spent at shortstop.

The Future: There are no shortage of options to become Cleveland’s shortstop of the future, but Rocchio is the most likely answer and could win the job as soon as Opening Day.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: When the Guardians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuela native has since made his own mark. Rocchio has been on an accelerated track throughout his career. After the 2021 season, he was added to the 40-man roster, and in 2022 he reached Triple-A Columbus as a 21-year-old.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but earned plaudits for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. Following the pandemic layoff in 2020--a time when Rocchio was forced to focus more on strength training because he was stuck in Venezuela with few on-field options--he started showing above-average power potential. In both of the seasons that followed, he has had 46 extra-base hits. Rocchio has answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He's an above-average runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up. He's also seen time at second base and third base in the last two years to give him more versatility, which could come into play as he looks to break into a crowded Cleveland infield.

The Future: The Guardians have no shortage of middle infield prospects, and the strong play in 2022 of their major league double-play combination of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez only further adds to the logjam. Rosario has one year remaining before he reaches free agency, so Rocchio is in line to open 2023 back in Columbus and likely make his MLB debut later in the season.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 50
Track Record: Cleveland made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, but their move to sign Rocchio flew more under the radar. Rocchio immediately jumped on an accelerated track and reached Double-A Akron as a 20-year-old in 2021, where he more than held his own on both sides of the ball. Ever the baseball rat, he returned home in the offseason to play in the Venezuelan Winter League and continued his strong performance at the plate.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but is nicknamed The Professor because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness. He has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter who doesn’t walk much, but consistently barrels up the ball and projects to be an above-average hitter. He is better at hitting righthanded than lefthanded. Rocchio began showing added power in 2021. His 15 home runs tripled his previous career high and his 46 extra-base hits were the second-most in Cleveland’s organization. While he’ll never be confused for a slugger, he now has enough pop to approach double-digit home runs. Rocchio faces zero questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner and has soft hands, average arm strength and excellent anticipation. His instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

The Future: Rocchio has emerged as Cleveland’s potential shortstop of the future. He’ll see Triple-A in 2022 and should be in the majors for good by 2023.
Hitting: 55. Power: 30. Running: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Aaron Bracho and George Valera were the headliners of the Indians’ 2017 international class, but Rocchio has proven a top signing as well. Signed for $125,000, Rocchio quickly moved to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019 and held his own. He returned to Venezuela during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, but he continued playing in a makeshift league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but is nicknamed “The Professor” for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio is likely always going to hit for average over power, but as he physically matures his line drives may carry over the fence. Rocchio is a no-doubt shortstop defensively. He’s a plus runner and his hands and arm strength are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio played his way to an accelerated track and even a lost 2020 season shouldn’t slow him much. Once he returns to the U.S., he’ll jump right back into the mix.
TRACK RECORD: While the Indians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuelan native has quickly made his own mark, however. After a strong 2018 in Rookie Ball, he advanced to short-season Mahoning Valley, where he held his own as the third-youngest position player.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but was nicknamed “The Professor” because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness when he was in the Rookie-level Arizona League. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. He's likely always going hit be hit over power but as he physically matures he'll start sending some of his line drives over the fence. Rocchio has largely answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He's a plus runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio is on an accelerated track and there's no reason to slow him down now. He'll head to low Class A Lake County for his first taste of full-season ball.
Track Record: Rocchio joined George Valera and Aaron Bracho in the Indians' deep 2017 international signing class, who both ranked among the top 20 prospects in the class. They were sidelined by injuries in 2018, but Rocchio advanced to the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2018, where he ranked third in batting (.343).

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but was quickly nicknamed "The Professor"because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. His size means power isn't a part of his game now, but as he physically matures he'll start sending some of his line drives over the fence. He likely will always be a hit-over-power player, however. While there were questions when he signed about his ability to stick at shortstop, Rocchio did his best to show he can play the position in 2018. He's a plus runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

The Future: Rocchio has already put himself on an accelerated track with his impressive professional debut. The Indians have a logjam of lower-level middle infielders reminiscent of half a dozen years ago when Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Erik Gonzalez were beginning their careers. But it will be hard to slow Rocchio down now, and he will likely go to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019 , where he'll be one of the youngest players in the New York-Penn League.

Minor League Top Prospects

One of the youngest players in the league at just 20, Rocchio made an immediate impact for Akron after a July promotion from High-A was necessitated by a Tyler Freeman injury. Multiple evaluators compared the switch-hitting shortstop with Francisco Lindor, who came up through the Indians’ system and actually reached Double-A at the age of 19. “If you told me Rocchio ended up being that good, it would be a little surprising, but it wouldn’t be very surprising,” one American League scout said. Not considered to be the best athlete—he is an average runner at best—Rocchio dazzles in the field with his both his range up the middle and ability to quickly get rid of the ball in an accurate fashion, but has also shown a significant increase in power at the plate. He went deep six times with Akron, but hit 15 overall between his two stops this year.
Under normal circumstances, Rocchio’s season would be viewed as outstanding. When you consider that he spent the entire 2020 shutdown in Venezuela, away from any in-person development, his year becomes exemplary. “He’s probably one of the best defensive players I’ve had a chance to work with in my career,” Lake County manager Greg DiCenzo said. “His situational awareness, maturity and decision-making as a young player is continuing to grow.” While many switch-hitters tend to lean towards a strength on one side of the plate as opposed to the other, DiCenzo and some scouts see potential for impact on both sides. With an above-average hit tool, fringe-average power and plus speed, Rocchio has quickly made up for the time he lost in 2020. He advanced to Double-A in late July as a 20-year-old, and between the levels hit .277/.346/.460 with 15 home runs.
At 18 years old, Rocchio was one of the youngest players in the league and showed the ability to play a quality shortstop. While still young, he showed feel for the game and was one of the tougher hitters in the NYPL to strike out, fanning just under 14 percent of the time. "It was the best defense at shortstop I’ve seen this season, no question," one rival manager said. Rocchio has both feel and average arm strength, which will help him stay up the middle. Offensively, he has a sound swing that is geared for contact over power. Over time, evaluators believe he will learn to drive pitches with more authority. Rocchio has a long way to go, but his elite defense and contact-oriented bat make him one of the Indians' most exciting prospects.
Rocchio’s reputation for advanced instincts and game awareness preceded his early July arrival in the Arizona League. His intelligence and feel earned him the nickname “The Professor.” A quick, compact hitter with plus speed, good hands, feel for the barrel and a balanced approach from both sides of the plate, Rocchio earned at least plus grades as a hitter from talent evaluators. He also showed more power in the bat than expected for his size, so he should add more power as his body matures and strengthens. His current average range and average arm play up because of advanced instincts and solid actions on the field. “He’s a step ahead of the game mentally,” Indians manager Jerry Owens said. “He always finds himself in the right spot. That’s something you don’t see in a kid his age … he’s always trying to do something more which tells me that he’s not satisfied where he’s at.”

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Best Defensive Infielder in the Cleveland Guardians in 2020

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: When the Guardians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuela native has since made his own mark. Rocchio has been on an accelerated track throughout his career. After the 2021 season, he was added to the 40-man roster, and in 2022 he reached Triple-A Columbus as a 21-year-old.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but earned plaudits for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. Following the pandemic layoff in 2020--a time when Rocchio was forced to focus more on strength training because he was stuck in Venezuela with few on-field options--he started showing above-average power potential. In both of the seasons that followed, he has had 46 extra-base hits. Rocchio has answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He's an above-average runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up. He's also seen time at second base and third base in the last two years to give him more versatility, which could come into play as he looks to break into a crowded Cleveland infield.

The Future: The Guardians have no shortage of middle infield prospects, and the strong play in 2022 of their major league double-play combination of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez only further adds to the logjam. Rosario has one year remaining before he reaches free agency, so Rocchio is in line to open 2023 back in Columbus and likely make his MLB debut later in the season.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 50
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Track Record: When the Guardians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuela native has since made his own mark. Rocchio has been on an accelerated track throughout his career. After the 2021 season, he was added to the 40-man roster, and in 2022 he reached Triple-A Columbus as a 21-year-old.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but earned plaudits for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. Following the pandemic layoff in 2020--a time when Rocchio was forced to focus more on strength training because he was stuck in Venezuela with few on-field options--he started showing above-average power potential. In both of the seasons that followed, he has had 46 extra-base hits. Rocchio has answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He's an above-average runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up. He's also seen time at second base and third base in the last two years to give him more versatility, which could come into play as he looks to break into a crowded Cleveland infield.

The Future: The Guardians have no shortage of middle infield prospects, and the strong play in 2022 of their major league double-play combination of Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez only further adds to the logjam. Rosario has one year remaining before he reaches free agency, so Rocchio is in line to open 2023 back in Columbus and likely make his MLB debut later in the season.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 50
BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: The Indians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, but their move to sign Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuelan native has since surpassed his more famous classmates, however. Rocchio immediately jumped on an accelerated track and reached Double-A Akron as a 20-year-old in 2021, where he more than held his own on both sides of the ball. Ever the baseball rat, he returned home in the offseason to play in the Venezuelan Winter League and continued his strong performance at the plate.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn&#39t stand out physically but is nicknamed “The Professor&#39&#39 because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He&#39s an aggressive hitter who doesn&#39t walk much, but consistently barrels up the ball and projects to be an above-average hitter. He is significantly better at hitting righthanded than lefthanded. Rocchio began showing added power in 2021. His 15 home runs tripled his previous career high and his 46 extra-base hits were the second-most in Cleveland&#39s organization. While he&#39ll never be confused for a slugger, he now has enough pop to approach double-digit home runs. Rocchio faces zero questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He&#39s an above-average runner and his soft hands, average arm strength and excellent anticipation. His instincts and baseball IQ help all his tools play up.

The Future: Rocchio has emerged as Cleveland&#39s potential shortstop of the future. He&#39ll see Triple-A in 2022 and should be in the majors for good by 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 30. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 50.
Track Record: Cleveland made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, but their move to sign Rocchio flew more under the radar. Rocchio immediately jumped on an accelerated track and reached Double-A Akron as a 20-year-old in 2021, where he more than held his own on both sides of the ball. Ever the baseball rat, he returned home in the offseason to play in the Venezuelan Winter League and continued his strong performance at the plate.

Scouting Report: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but is nicknamed The Professor because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness. He has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter who doesn’t walk much, but consistently barrels up the ball and projects to be an above-average hitter. He is better at hitting righthanded than lefthanded. Rocchio began showing added power in 2021. His 15 home runs tripled his previous career high and his 46 extra-base hits were the second-most in Cleveland’s organization. While he’ll never be confused for a slugger, he now has enough pop to approach double-digit home runs. Rocchio faces zero questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He’s an above-average runner and has soft hands, average arm strength and excellent anticipation. His instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

The Future: Rocchio has emerged as Cleveland’s potential shortstop of the future. He’ll see Triple-A in 2022 and should be in the majors for good by 2023.
Under normal circumstances, Rocchio’s season would be viewed as outstanding. When you consider that he spent the entire 2020 shutdown in Venezuela, away from any in-person development, his year becomes exemplary. “He’s probably one of the best defensive players I’ve had a chance to work with in my career,” Lake County manager Greg DiCenzo said. “His situational awareness, maturity and decision-making as a young player is continuing to grow.” While many switch-hitters tend to lean towards a strength on one side of the plate as opposed to the other, DiCenzo and some scouts see potential for impact on both sides. With an above-average hit tool, fringe-average power and plus speed, Rocchio has quickly made up for the time he lost in 2020. He advanced to Double-A in late July as a 20-year-old, and between the levels hit .277/.346/.460 with 15 home runs.
One of the youngest players in the league at just 20, Rocchio made an immediate impact for Akron after a July promotion from High-A was necessitated by a Tyler Freeman injury. Multiple evaluators compared the switch-hitting shortstop with Francisco Lindor, who came up through the Indians’ system and actually reached Double-A at the age of 19. “If you told me Rocchio ended up being that good, it would be a little surprising, but it wouldn’t be very surprising,” one American League scout said. Not considered to be the best athlete—he is an average runner at best—Rocchio dazzles in the field with his both his range up the middle and ability to quickly get rid of the ball in an accurate fashion, but has also shown a significant increase in power at the plate. He went deep six times with Akron, but hit 15 overall between his two stops this year.
Hitting: 55. Power: 30. Running: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Aaron Bracho and George Valera were the headliners of the Indians' 2017 international class, but Rocchio has proven a top signing as well. Signed for $125,000, Rocchio quickly moved to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019 and held his own. He returned to Venezuela during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, but he continued playing in a makeshift league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but is nicknamed “The Professor” for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio is likely always going to hit for average over power, but as he physically matures his line drives may carry over the fence. Rocchio is a no-doubt shortstop defensively. He's a plus runner and his hands and arm strength are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio played his way to an accelerated track and even a lost 2020 season shouldn't slow him much. Once he returns to the U.S., he'll jump right back into the mix.
Hitting: 55. Power: 30. Running: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Aaron Bracho and George Valera were the headliners of the Indians’ 2017 international class, but Rocchio has proven a top signing as well. Signed for $125,000, Rocchio quickly moved to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019 and held his own. He returned to Venezuela during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, but he continued playing in a makeshift league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but is nicknamed “The Professor” for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio is likely always going to hit for average over power, but as he physically matures his line drives may carry over the fence. Rocchio is a no-doubt shortstop defensively. He’s a plus runner and his hands and arm strength are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio played his way to an accelerated track and even a lost 2020 season shouldn’t slow him much. Once he returns to the U.S., he’ll jump right back into the mix.
Hitting: 55. Power: 30. Running: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Aaron Bracho and George Valera were the headliners of the Indians’ 2017 international class, but Rocchio has proven a top signing as well. Signed for $125,000, Rocchio quickly moved to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2019 and held his own. He returned to Venezuela during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and was unable to return to the U.S. due to travel restrictions, but he continued playing in a makeshift league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but is nicknamed “The Professor” for his high baseball IQ and game awareness. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels the ball. Rocchio is likely always going to hit for average over power, but as he physically matures his line drives may carry over the fence. Rocchio is a no-doubt shortstop defensively. He’s a plus runner and his hands and arm strength are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio played his way to an accelerated track and even a lost 2020 season shouldn’t slow him much. Once he returns to the U.S., he’ll jump right back into the mix.
TRACK RECORD: While the Indians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuelan native has quickly made his own mark, however. After a strong 2018 in Rookie Ball, he advanced to short-season Mahoning Valley, where he held his own as the third-youngest position player.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn’t stand out physically but was nicknamed “The Professor” because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness when he was in the Rookie-level Arizona League. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He’s an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. He’s likely always going hit be hit over power but as he physically matures he’ll start sending some of his line drives over the fence. Rocchio has largely answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He’s a plus runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio is on an accelerated track and there’s no reason to slow him down now. He’ll head to low Class A Lake County for his first taste of full-season ball.
TRACK RECORD: While the Indians made a big splash on the 2017 international market with the heralded signings of Aaron Bracho and George Valera, their move to ink Rocchio flew more under the radar. The Venezuelan native has quickly made his own mark, however. After a strong 2018 in Rookie Ball, he advanced to short-season Mahoning Valley, where he held his own as the third-youngest position player.

SCOUTING REPORT: Rocchio doesn't stand out physically but was nicknamed “The Professor” because of his high baseball IQ and game awareness when he was in the Rookie-level Arizona League. A switch-hitter, he has a smooth, consistent swing from both sides of the plate and excellent pitch recognition. He's an aggressive hitter and consistently barrels up the ball. He's likely always going hit be hit over power but as he physically matures he'll start sending some of his line drives over the fence. Rocchio has largely answered any questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He's a plus runner, and his hands and arm are good enough for the position, especially because his instincts and baseball IQ help his tools play up.

THE FUTURE: Rocchio is on an accelerated track and there's no reason to slow him down now. He'll head to low Class A Lake County for his first taste of full-season ball.
At 18 years old, Rocchio was one of the youngest players in the league and showed the ability to play a quality shortstop. While still young, he showed feel for the game and was one of the tougher hitters in the NYPL to strike out, fanning just under 14 percent of the time. "It was the best defense at shortstop I’ve seen this season, no question," one rival manager said. Rocchio has both feel and average arm strength, which will help him stay up the middle. Offensively, he has a sound swing that is geared for contact over power. Over time, evaluators believe he will learn to drive pitches with more authority. Rocchio has a long way to go, but his elite defense and contact-oriented bat make him one of the Indians' most exciting prospects.