BRYAN LAVASTIDA...Graduated in 2017 from Westland Hialeah High School in Hialeah, Fla., and played one season at Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, FL) in 2018 prior to being drafted by Cleveland...Was a 2018 Suncoast Conference First Team selection in his only campaign in Tampa...Favorite players growing up were Barry Bonds and Derek Jeter...Favorite teams are the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers...Enjoys spending time on the water in South Florida.
2023
Bounce back season, posting a career-high 70 RBIs in 108 games between Akron and Columbus...Finished sixth in the PD system in RBI and seventh in walks (56)...Was designated for assignment on Apr. 23 and outrighted off 40-man to Akron five days later (opened year in Akron)...Elevated to Columbus on 7/3, spending rest of the year in AAA...Reached in 15 straight games in May for Akron...Combined made 83 starts at C and 22 at DH.
2022
Opened the year on the Major League roster after the Spring Training injury to Luke Maile…Made four starts at catcher, appearing in six games behind the plate...Made his ML debut on April 10 at KC and collected his first hit on April 22 at New York-AL (Jameson Taillon)…Was with the Major League club, from opening day (4/7) until April 22 after being optioned to AAA…Caught 36.0 IP with Cleveland, was 0-for-2 throwing out runners...Was on the Triple-A roster before being placed on the 7-day IL with a right hamstring strain, 6/19-7/7, and was transferred to AA Akron at that time...Was with Akron from July 7-Sept. 19, spending the last week of the season back in Columbus...Combined in the minors in 2022 batted .209 (67/321) with 10 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR & 30 RBI in 46 games (.284/.349/.633)…Made 76 starts at catcher and seven at DH between Akron and Columbus.
2021
Made the jump from High-A to Triple-A in 2021, starting the year in High-A Lake County and spending time at Double-A and Triple-A, batting a combined .289 (83-for-287) with an .836 OPS in 84 games....Was on the Injured List at Lake County, May 13-June 2, with a left wrist injury...At the time of his promotion to AA Akron on July 30, his .303 average would have ranked third in the High-A Central...Reached base in 22 straight games, June 24-July 23...Went 3-for-5 w/a homer and 4 RBI in his Akron debut, July 31 at Erie...Batted .300 (24-for-80) in his first 23 games with Akron (.843 OPS, 2 HR, 14 RBI) before being promoted to Columbus on Sept. 1...Hit in 2 of his 7 games with Columbus before being sent back to Akron on Sept. 13 for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs....Went 6-for-12 in three games in the postseason for the Double-A Northeast champs (3 runs, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI)...Combined on the year, he batted .327 (16-for-49) vs. LHP and .303 (27-for-89) with RISP...Following the season, worked out with the infielders in Arizona during fall instructional league...Entered 2021 season in Depth Camp in Feb. and appeared in two ML exhibition games.
2020
Did not play due to the cancelled Minor League season...Entered 2021 as the No. 29 prospect in the Cleveland farm system (MLB.com).
2019
Finished in the top five in the New York-Penn League in batting average (4th, .335), on-base percentage (3rd, .408), slugging percentage (4th, .483), OPS (2nd, .892), hits (5th, 70), doubles (2nd, 19), and runs (T5th, 39)...Was a Baseball America Short-Season All-Star and was named MiLB.com NYP Player of the Month in August (.413/.486/.554/1.040).