Despite going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk on Tuesday’s come-from-behind victory over the Houston Astros, it’s safe to say that Kyle Manzardo hasn’t had the smoothest of starts this year.
Even after Tuesday’s outburst, he is hitting .200/.282/.257 with a 60 wRC+, which means he has been 40 percent worse than the league-average hitter. That won’t do it at the highest level, but don’t worry: he might be starting to heat up.
While he has been in the lineup more often than not, manager Stephen Vogt has benched Manzardo on occasion, which could be throwing off his rhythm. MLB hitters, especially young and talented ones, need to play every day in order to reach their full potential. They have to learn how to act and react to all kinds of pitches, angles, velocities, and other elements.
They are creatures of habit. Manzardo, who has sat against a lefty or two, could certainly benefit from playing every day, and that’s what analyst Gabrielle Goudy suggested.
“That’s been the issue for the last two seasons,” she said, referring to the lack of regular playing time.
Kyle Manzardo is still not getting everyday ABs. Has it stunted his growth? #GuardsBall
"That's been the issue for the last two seasons."
– @gabbgoudy pic.twitter.com/eRkiod9m02
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) April 21, 2026
Manzardo deserves to play every day, but the Guardians also have a lot of mouths to feed when it comes to playing time. Rhys Hoskins is definitely better against lefties, and Cleveland also tends to give some DH days to Chase DeLauter to keep him fresh.
Perhaps the Guardians’ renewed depth is preventing them from playing Manzardo every night, but he also has to show something, especially vs. southpaws. He entered Tuesday’s game with a -2 wRC+ against lefties, but he did have a single off Colton Gordon and another one off Bryan King, a positive sign with his future reps in mind.
Manzardo had been unlucky to this point, but he might be finding his swing again. He’s still a dangerous hitter, and he hasn’t forgotten how to play: he did hit 27 home runs with a 113 wRC+ last year, after all.
Now that he appears to be hitting his stride, it would be a good idea to keep him out there as often as possible.
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