The Cleveland Guardians gave first base prospect Kyle Manzardo a chance to impress in the summer.
He didn’t take advantage of it and struggled to the tune of a .571 OPS in 30 games.
The lefty-hitting Manzardo entered the season as the typical young prospect who thrived against right-handed pitchers but struggled against hurlers of the same hand.
Again, this is not at all uncommon, but the team wanted him to make strides in hitting left-handers.
Last year in the minor leagues, he accumulated a .594 OPS against southpaws in 113 at-bats.
This year, however, he has made huge improvements in that department and is no longer a liability against lefties.
In fact, he is now an above-average hitter against pitchers of both hands.
“Hadn’t looked at Kyle Manzardo’s splits in the minors for a bit. He’s got an .823 OPS vs LHP this season. Partial season splits small sample size noise, but that’s one of the best he’s carried in the minors vs LHP. Not a 1-1 translation in the majors, but encouraging,” Guardians reporter @JL_baseball tweeted.
Hadn't looked at Kyle Manzardo's splits in the minors for a bit. Hes got an
.823 OPS vs LHP this season. Partial season splits small sample size noise, but that's one of the best he's carried in the minors vs LHP. Not a 1-1 translation in the majors, but encouraging.— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) August 18, 2024
The jump from a .594 OPS to a .823 mark against left-handers is remarkable.
That requires time, patience, adjustments, and a lot of work in general.
It speaks volumes about Manzardo’s development and his readiness to be given an MLB opportunity again.
Maybe he was rushed a bit earlier this year, but now, he seems ready for another chance.
In Triple-A, he is slashing a cool .261/.394/.537 with 17 home runs and a 137 wRC+.
Given the current state of the Guardians offense, calling up Manzardo seems like a no-brainer.
NEXT: Guardians Swept As Offense Hits Rock Bottom
