There's one part of the Cleveland Guardians roster that all fans are excited about. That's the anticipation of seeing the team's second-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) Kyle Manzardo.
One has to believe at some point he'll be in the mix with Josh Naylor at first base and designated hitter. But when will that time come? Will Manzardo crack the Opening Day roster?
The Guardians typically don't call up their top prospects early in the season. That could be the combination of roster construction, cold weather, or whether or not they're ready for the Big Leagues. Just look at how long it took the organization to give Bo Naylor his chance.
Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com wrote at the beginning of January that Manzardo is expected to start in Columbus on Opening Day. Zack Meisel of The Athletic echoed a similar expectation when talking about prospects playing in the early spring cold on the Selby is Godcast Podcast. There seems to be a building feeling that the Minors is where Manzardo starts in 2024.
This is not official, but based on what these two are saying and how the organization historically operates, it seems like a safe presumption to make here in the middle of January. Obviously, that could always change. Spring training hasn't even started yet which Manzardo was given a non-roster invite to.
He is more than ready for the next level when you look at his Triple-A stats and what he did in the Arizona Fall League. The 23-year-old was also just named the second overall first base prospect per MLB Pipeline. Manzardo had a slash line of .256/.348/.590 in 21 games with the Columbus Clippers in 2023. He also hit the second-most home runs in the AFL.
One thing that is clear is at some point the Guardians are going to need to address their lackluster offense and Manzardo could be part of that solution to that.
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