After a rough start, Cleveland Guardians' Kyle Manzardo has turned his season around because one reason.
There arguably wasn't a player in all of MLB who got off to a more frustrating start to the 2026 season than Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo.
He hit 0.61 (2-for-33) through his first 11 games of the season, but had some encouraging advanced numbers that were on his side.
Thankfully, Manzardo has turned it around since then. Since May 2, the Guardians slugger owns a .938 OPS, which ranks 5th in the American League and 10th-best in all of MLB over that stretch.
At face value, Manzardo hasn't changed anything too noticeable with his stance or plate approach, but manager Stephen Vogt has seen one difference in the left-handed hitter over the last few weeks.
"Obviously, he's been driving the ball all over the yard. I think the last month, he's just, he's hitting the ball harder," explained Cleveland's skipper.
"Early in the year, he was a little steep at times. It was a little in between. Uh, Manzo's been have he's been locked in now for about six weeks and um, you know, the numbers show it."
May 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesFrom March 26 until May 1, Manzardo had an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph, a barrel rate of 7.1 percent, and a hard-hit rate of 28.6 percent.
For a player who has been known for his ability to drive the ball and hit for power at times, these numbers aren't what Cleveland was hoping for at all following a 27-home run campaign in 2025.
However, since June 2 until now, Manzardo's barrel rate has jumped to 17.9 percent, and his hard-hit rate has increased to 53 percent.
Not only has Manzardo been making more contact at the plate over the last month, but he's also making better contact, too.
Manzardo's season OPS of .716 is still recovering from a treacherous start to the year, but he's objectively been one of the best hitters in the Guardians lineup over the last few weeks. His average exit velocity of 88.6 mph also only ranks in the 38th percentile.
These numbers show what a player's season stats don't always tell a full story.
As long as Manzardo continues to hit the ball hard, as Vogt has noticed over the last few weeks, he should continue to trend in the right direction and be right where the Guardians need him to be by the end of the season.
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