Kyle Manzardo has been a clutch pinch hitter for the Cleveland Guardians so far this season. However, at one point, does he earn more at-bats?
Kyle Manzardo’s role with the Cleveland Guardians looks a little different now than it did a year ago. In 2025, the left-handed hitter was in the lineup nearly every day, but with the Guardians signing Rhys Hoskins, Manzardo has found himself in more of a platoon role with less starter time.
Even though Manzardo has been in as many starting lineups, that hasn’t stopped him from impacting the Guardians when he gets the opportunity to.
Another one of those big moments came on Friday night as Manzardo hit a pinch-hit go-ahead home run against Jhoan Duran in the top of the ninth inning, which ended up being the difference maker in Cleveland’s 1-0 victory.
Manzardo wasn’t in the starting lineup with a lefty, Christopher Sanchez, on the mound, but that didn’t stop him from preparing and staying ready during the game as if he would see an at-bat at some point.
“I always, every game I'm not starting, I'm getting ready to hit like the fourth inning, just taking trips to the cage, when we're on defense, going up, getting around. Just stand ready, man,” explained Manzardo after Friday’s win.
“The way we kind of play baseball here is we're gonna empty the bench a lot, man. Just because you start on a bench. You're not usually gonna finish on a bench.”
May 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Guardians infielder Kyle Manzardo (9) reacts with teammates after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesManzardo really has embraced the role of being a go-to bat the Guardians can call upon mid-game so far in 2026. He’s seen 11 plate appearances as a pinch hitter and already has four hits (.400 AVG), including two home runs in this role.
“Manzo, since he's gotten here a couple of years ago, he knows his role.” said manager Stephen Vogt.
“When you come off the bench, you gotta be ready to go, and he's really come a long way as a pinch hitter, and he's been swinging the bat really well. The playing time has been a little scarce just with the matchups this last week, but a huge moment for him.”
Matchups are a factor in how Vogt constructs a starting lineup, and some of Manzardo’s splits, especially against left-handed pitching, still aren’t great. However, Manzardo also has a .980 OPS over his last 15 games.
As successful Manzardo has been a pinch hitter this season, the Guardians must work him into the everyday lineup, regardless of the pitcher, as long as he keeps hitting like this.
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