When the Cleveland Guardians called up first baseman Kyle Manzardo, he was having a brilliant season for Triple-A Columbus.
He was hitting for average (.303) and power (nine home runs and a .642 slugging percentage in 29 games) down there, so he earned the call.
Once he was welcomed to the bigs, he felt the same difference in talent level from Triple-A pitchers to MLB hurlers that other top prospects struggled with right out of the gate.
He is still hitting a rather mediocre .211/.250/.342 with a .592 OPS in 10 games, but he is at least starting to look a little better at the plate.
You could even say he is out of his early-season slump and contributing his big-time power to the Guardians.
“Kyle Manzardo now has four straight games with a double for the @CleGuardians!” MLB Pipeline tweeted, with a video of the big hit on Wednesday.
Kyle Manzardo now has four straight games with a double for the @CleGuardians! pic.twitter.com/i7xgGhThQ6
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 22, 2024
He didn’t even get the start on Wednesday against the New York Mets, yet he still managed to get a couple of at-bats and hit a double for the fourth straight game.
Baby steps.
Manzardo still hasn’t logged more than one hit in a single game, and his OPS, average, and power numbers are still bad.
But he is starting to get into a rhythm, and that could be huge for himself and for the Guards.
If he ends up performing like the player we saw in Triple-A just a couple of weeks ago, it will be a big win for Cleveland.
Patience is required, though.
He could be a very special hitter if the team takes its time with him.
NEXT: Jose Ramirez Takes MLB Lead As Guardians Sweep Mets
