The Cleveland Guardians have a seemingly never-ending supply of talented, young position players ready to make an impact with the big-league club.
Kyle Manzardo is one of the rookies called upon in 2024 to help the Guards get some wins.
He earned his call-up with a brilliant .303/.375/.642 line and nine home runs in Triple-A, in 128 plate appearances.
Manzardo, as it usually happens with even the most talented position-player prospects, has struggled a bit to get going at the MLB level and is slashing a disappointing .230/.266/.365 there, in 79 trips to the plate.
There is a specific number, however, that keeps the Guardians and their fans hopeful that the slugging first baseman can put it all together at some point this year.
“Manzardo has 10 doubles. Ramirez has 14. Ramirez has 176 more ABs. Manzardo is going to be special when he finally puts it all together on a daily basis,” @stevelandguards tweeted.
Manzardo has 10 doubles. Ramirez has 14. Ramirez has 176 more ABs. Manzardo is going to be special when he finally puts it all together on a daily basis.
— Steveland Guardians (@stevelandguards) June 9, 2024
Doubles, in case you were wondering, are very good.
Not only are they extra-base hits and are very much preferable to singles, but they also can indicate that the player is a tiny tweak away from fully unlocking impact home-run power (or a few pounds of muscle, in some cases).
In short, doubles tell the story of a powerful hitter.
More often than not, these doubles turn into home runs, especially when discussing a player with such an impressive barrel control as Manzardo.
He has already made some improvements after a rather rough welcome to the majors, and seems to be improving everyday.
If he ever puts it all together, the Guards could have a consistent middle-of-the-order producer with contact, on-base ability, gap, and home-run power.
NEXT: Guardians Rookie Has Matched Rare MLB History
