There was a hope from fans that the Cleveland Guardians would have a new first baseman/designated hitter to platoon with Josh Naylor on Opening Day.
Kyle Manzardo, Cleveland's No. 2 ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, has done everything in his power to show that he deserves that opportunity. However, the organization reassigned him to minor league camp on Monday afternoon. This means that he will start the season at the Minor League level.
The 24-year-old has appeared in 13 games for the Guardians so far this spring, posting a slash line of .381/.458/.476 with a .934 OPS. He's tallied eight hits in 21 at-bats, with two of them being extra-base knocks.
The most recent example of Manzardo's potential came in Cleveland's lone 2024 MLB Spring Breakout game, when he hit a towering two-run home run to give the Guardians the lead for good against a team of Cincinnati Reds prospects.
For those looking for something to nitpick with Manzardo's game, he currently has a K% of 29.2% in 24 plate appearances so far this spring. Yes, this is a bit of a higher rate than a coaching staff would want him to have.
No, Manzardo will not be on the Guardians' roster to begin the season. And yes, it's disappointing. But this does not mean that the power-hitting left-hander will not have a massive impact on the big league team in 2024.
Eventually, Manzardo will get called up to Cleveland. But he is going to have to wait a little longer for that opportunity.
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