CLEVELAND — Juan Brito was playing the popular baseball video game MLB The Show when he received the phone call of which every minor leaguer dreams.
He was going to The Show — the actual one, the real one, in Cleveland.
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Brito, 24, was relaxing with some video games on an off day when he was informed that he was being promoted to the major leagues for the first time. Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias was heading for the injured list with a hamstring injury, and they needed a middle infielder.
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton (22) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Fans take pictures outside before the start of the home opener Cleveland Guardians game the against Chicago Cubs, April 3, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Fans mingle outside before the start of the home opener Cleveland Guardians game against the Chicago Cubs, April 3, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Graham Veysey and his daughter, Red Clark Veysey, 5, spend their fifth opening day together before the opening Guardians home game against the Chicago Cubs, April 3, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Guardians vs. Cubs, Cleveland home opener photos
Apr 3, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez walks off the field during batting practice before the game between the Guardians and the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field.
Brito had been on a tear in Triple-A, hitting .314 with an .862 OPS in Columbus’ first nine games, earning the promotion.
Brito went to the airport at 4 a.m. April 7 for a game that had been moved up to 1:10 p.m. because of frigid temperatures rolling through Cleveland.
He made it in time from Massachusetts. And less than eight hours after going to the airport in another state, Brito stepped to the plate at Progressive Field and, in his first major league at-bat, roped a double. One at-bat, one swing, one hit, one souvenir ball he’ll now give to his mom.
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“It’s hard to put into words,” Brito said through a team translator after the game, which the Guardians won 2-1 in walk-off fashion over the Kansas City Royals. “It’s just like a dream come true being on that field with all these stars you admire and, most importantly, being around them and trying to help them win and have fun. So that was my mindset, tried to have fun and it was a fun day.”
Cleveland Guardians rookie Juan Brito hits a double for his first career hit during the second inning of his Major League debut against the Kansas City Royals on April 7, 2026, in Cleveland.
A player’s major league debut can often feel like a whirlwind, especially when it includes some quick travel and a very early wake-up call. Notching his first career hit was a massive milestone, but it also acted as a deep breath, of sorts.
“I feel like everything went away after the first swing,” Brito, who later added a single, said. “After that, I was like, ‘OK, let’s have fun.'”
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Juan Brito stats
Although former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana is the headliner among Guardians prospects, and specifically those who could be nearing a promotion to the majors, Brito has often been ranked as a top-10 prospect in the system, a switch-hitting infielder who has the potential to bolster the Guardians lineup.
He might have made his MLB debut in 2025 had he not been slowed by multiple injuries. Now, Arias’ own hamstring issue cleared the way for Brito, who could see significant time at second base with Brayan Rocchio shifting over to shortstop.
“We’ve been excited about Juan for a really long time,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “I saw a more confident, kind of calm Juan. I think sometimes he could look passive, but this year I didn’t see as much passive. I saw more calm and confident.”
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Brito has spent time playing second base, third base and first base in Triple-A. As long as he’s healthy, Bazzana should eventually make his way to the majors this season and take over second base at some point. When that happens, Brito could perhaps be sent back down to Triple-A, or the Guardians could try to get creative with him still receiving at-bats.
Either way, he can now play The Show in video games and in real life, at least for the time being.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Guardians and Cavaliers for the Akron beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians prospect Juan Brito makes MLB debut in win