From playing MLB The Show to playing in The Show ... Brito has unforgettable debut

CLEVELAND -- One moment, he was playing MLB The Show. In a flash, he was experiencing a real-life Road to The Show.

Juan Brito (the Guardians’ No. 16 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) was in Worcester, Mass., on Monday night, enjoying some down time on Triple-A Columbus’ off-day. The 24-year-old was playing MLB The Show 26 on PlayStation 5 and had the Guardians’ series opener vs. the Royals on in the background.

Brito grew concerned when he watched Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias exit in the fifth inning with a left hamstring injury. A few hours later, Brito got a call with some big news: Cleveland was calling him up to the Majors in Arias’ stead.

Brito got to the airport at 4 a.m. ET on Tuesday to fly to Cleveland. He made his MLB debut in the Guardians’ 2-1 walk-off win over the Royals, going 2-for-4 with a double while hitting sixth and playing second base. It was Brito’s double-play partner, shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who sent the Guardians home victorious with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Brito said of his debut through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “It’s a dream come true being on that field with all those stars that you always admire, and most importantly, being around them and trying to help them win and have fun. So that was my mindset: Try to have fun. It was a fun day.”

The Guardians acquired Brito in the November 2022 trade that sent Nolan Jones to the Rockies. We likely would have gotten our first look at him in the Majors in ‘25, coming off his impressive ‘24 season with Triple-A Columbus. But Brito had a tough-luck season in which injuries limited him to 31 games.

Brito underwent surgery for a right thumb sprain last April and did not rejoin the Clippers until June 25. He then appeared in just eight games before going down with a left hamstring injury, which ultimately required season-ending surgery in September. While he could have gotten discouraged last year, he found a way to stay positive amid the adversity he faced.

“I feel like that actually made me stronger,” Brito said. “It was a reminder, ‘You've gotten this far, you've been so long on this route that you're not gonna quit now.”

Brito has long had promise as a switch-hitter who has power and plate discipline. Over 144 games with Columbus in 2024, he had an .808 OPS with 40 doubles, 21 homers, 84 RBIs and 88 walks with 105 strikeouts. Over his first nine games this season, he hit .314 (11-for-35) with five doubles with the Clippers.

Brito was as advertised on Tuesday. He logged a double in his first plate appearance in the second inning against Royals starter Noah Cameron. Brito swung and missed at Cameron’s first offering, a four-seamer off the outside corner, before working a 3-1 count. Cameron came back with another heater, and Brito lined it toward the left-field corner.

Brito hustled to second for a stand-up double, which came off his bat with an exit velocity of 104 mph. He had the ball encased in his locker postgame, and noted he plans to give it to his mother, Sandra.

Brito flew out to left field in his second at-bat, but he lined a 107.2 mph single to left in his third trip to the plate.

“That's as confident and comfortable as I've seen him,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “He looked ready to go. … I thought he had great at-bats all day and made a couple nice plays in the field. A really fun day for Juan.”

Brito was in the mix for the Guardians’ Opening Day roster the past two springs; he was optioned to Columbus near the end of camp this year on March 19. Vogt said before the game on Tuesday that he saw a more confident and calm Brito this spring compared to past years.

Brito said he came to camp with a different mindset this year.

“I feel like I was not competing against anybody,” he said. “I was just competing against myself, trying to get myself better and have fun.”

Brito’s locker is fittingly adjacent to Rocchio’s in the Guardians’ clubhouse at Progressive Field. Brito noted Tuesday morning that Rocchio and Angel Martínez were among those who helped him feel at home and with his transition after he was traded from Colorado to Cleveland.

“He's a great dude. He's a great human being,” Rocchio said of Brito through Rivero. “I'm really happy for him. Even though we didn't play [together] that much in the Minor Leagues, I saw his demeanor, the way he handled himself, his routines. Everything has come true as well, so I'm very happy he was able to get that today.”