Kyle Manzardo's bat is finally heating up in the Cleveland Guardians' lineup.
Baseball is a difficult game on any day of the week. It’s even more difficult when a player believes they have the right process at the plate, but don’t have the results to show for it.
That was the exact dilemma Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo was in at the beginning of the season. Even though he was hitting the ball hard, he just couldn’t get it to drop for a hit and had a very unfortunate batting average on balls in play.
Thankfully, it looks like luck is starting to turn for Manzardo, and he showed as much in the first two games against the New York Yankees.
Through the first pair of games of the series, Manzardo went five for eight at the plate, including two doubles and two home runs. His OPS over the last 15 games is now at 1.125, which includes five total home runs.
What those numbers don’t necessarily show is the 13-pitch at-bat Manzardo had on Tuesday evening, which ended in a walk. If that’s not a sign that a player is dialed in at the plate and with their timing, then nothing is.
Jun 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) reacts after hitting a double during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesDespite all the luck that hasn’t gone Manzardo’s way at the beginning of the season, he said his goal has been to remain aggressive at the plate, knowing that eventually the hits would come.
“I’ve been hitting the ball pretty hard for weeks now,” explained Manzardo. “I feel like so much of it for me is being able to limit chase. Hope I’m not chasing, and there’s a chance I can do some damage and hit some balls.”
This is the same observation that Vogt has seen from Manzardo over the last few weeks, too.
“He's been swinging about really well for about a month now, and, to see him get some extra base hits, drive the ball to the yard, that's the Manzo we all know,” explained Cleveland’s skipper.
“It's just really fun to see him, kind of starting to get his stride a little bit.”
The Guardians always knew that they’d need Manzardo to take the next step in his development this season if they wanted to get back to the playoffs.
Even though the season didn’t start off the way Manzardo would’ve wanted it to, Cleveland is still at the top of the American League Central. Not that he’s finding his stride, the Guardians’ ceiling for the 2026 season only got higher.
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