Highly coveted Cleveland Guardians prospect Kyle Manzardo has received his long-awaited call to join the major league club. He received this news yesterday as a result of outfielder Steven Kwan landing on the IL. Later today, he will join the Guardians to debut against divisional rival Detroit Tigers. Now, I call this a “long-awaited” as he is not only a highly touted prospect (#52 Overall according to MLB Pipeline), but this man has had a spotlight pointed at him since the Guardians moved Aaron Civale to acquire Manzardo back in July 2023 right before the MLB Trade Deadline.
Manzardo was a 2nd round pick out of Washington State back in 2021 and has been crushing baseballs ever since. He slots in as a 1st Baseman and will likely go back and forth between a DH and/or 1B, depending on how the Guardians want to deploy the young slugger. The Guardians are currently in control of the American League Central by 2.5 games and seem to want to keep that lead by finally making the decision to give Mazardo the well-deserved call.
Let’s dive into the player profile. He is clearly not a speed demon on the base paths but is able to hit anything that comes his way. Adding another masher into the middle of this Cleveland lineup is a scary thought for AL Central rivals but a joy to the baseball community! Manzardo is an electric prospect to watch, as he can send a ball out of the park at any time.
It makes all the sense in the world to give him the nod, as he has done everything asked of him and more while down in the minors. Manzardo can be an X-factor for the rest of the season if he can hit right away in the bigs. I do not know how long his leash is and if he will be sent down immediately, pending Steven Kwan’s return.
All I can say is I am excited to see Manzardo finally get his chance at the show!
2024 MiLB Stats:
109 AB | 25 R | 33 H | 9 HR | 20 RBI | 0 SB | .303 AVG | .375 OBP | 1.017 OPS
Career MiLB Stats:
827 AB | 156 R | 237 H | 50 HR | 164 RBI | 2 SB | .287 AVG | .383 OBP | .938 OPS