It may seem outlandish to think that the Cleveland Guardians have a first base controversy just one game into the 2026 season, but their lineup decision for Opening Day against the Seattle Mariners did raise some eyebrows. It had Kyle Manzardo at DH and Rhys Hoskins at first base, which was the opposite of their usage during most of spring training.
However, manager Stephen Vogt needs to be given the benefit of the doubt. Though it may have come as a bit of a surprise, a lot of thought was put into the alignment.
Vogt cleared the air about Manzardo’s role, saying he will get the bulk of his playing time in the field based on the upcoming pitching matchups.
“It came down to how the next few days are going to play out. ‘Manzo’ is used to DHing. We’re facing eight righties right out of the chute,” Vogt said. “Everyone is focusing on today’s game but they’re not looking ahead like I am. Kyle is going to play a lot of first base and he’s going to DH a lot. His bat is going to be in the lineup against right-handed pitching.”
It could not have worked out any better for Vogt in the opener, as Hoskins, batting sixth, went 3-for-3 with a double in his first Guardians at-bat that was the hardest-hit ball of his 10-year MLB career. Manzardo went 1-for-4 as the cleanup hitter in a 6-4 victory.
Vogt said that it was a good time to use the right-handed hitting Hoskins, even though Mariners starter Logan Gilbert is a righty, because the pitcher has almost reverse batting splits against him. It also would keep lefty-hitting Manzardo fresher for the slate of right-handed pitchers the Guardians are expected to face during the rest of this series and in upcoming games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, which could include starter Shohei Ohtani.
Manzardo may be at first base on Friday against Seattle starter George Kirby. However, Vogt could stick with Hoskins either there or at DH with his 1.000 batting average for the season.
The veteran was signed at the start of spring training and played his way onto the team as the Guardians looked to add a bit more pop to their lineup following a very quiet offseason. Rookie Chase DeLauter did provide the power with two home runs in the opener.
It’s just one game, but the Guardians may already have more lineup options than they thought moving forward.
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