Guardians May Need To Make Difficult Decision With Kyle Manzardo

Ever since the 2026 season started, every time Cleveland Guardians first baseman and designated hitter Kyle Manzardo has played, he has occupied the same slot in the lineup: the cleanup spot.

He earned the right to open the year as the Guardians’ cleanup hitter after hitting 27 home runs last year, with a 113 wRC+. He also had 19 doubles and two triples to round out an impressive power-hitting performance in 2025.

The 2026 campaign, however, has been rough for Manzardo. He woke up on Tuesday hitting .063 with a -2 wRC+. He is also striking out 31.8 percent of the time, up from 25.4 percent last year.

Simply put, Manzardo is really struggling at the moment, and not only is he a bad fit for the fourth slot, but he isn’t looking like a major league hitter right now. No, we are not saying Cleveland should option their young slugger to Triple-A Columbus, but they have to be proactive and do something.

Moving Manzardo down a few spots in the lineup appears to be a viable short-term solution. It doesn’t have to be a permanent move, but until he shows some signs of life, manager Stephen Vogt should consider placing him in the sixth or seventh spot.

Right now, Manzardo is giving away outs in the vast majority of his at-bats, killing potential rallies in the process. Additionally, he is not offering any kind of protection for team star and third-hole hitter Jose Ramirez, who is also having a hard time at the plate.

The Guardians know what they have in Manzardo, but they should also understand that his current offensive issues are affecting the team. Every hitter goes through slumps, even the best of them, but the way an organization manages them can be the difference between a division title and an early elimination.

There have been some rumblings about the Guardians potentially trading the young slugger if they decide to sell, but that’s highly unlikely. Cleveland values Manzardo and knows he is part of the future.

Right now, however, he has no business hitting at such a high lineup slot.