The Cleveland Guardians were shut out by the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday and saw their losing streak reach four games in the process. The offense hasn’t been able to get going lately despite getting Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez back from injury and it’s starting to get a bit concerning heading into the trade deadline.
Cleveland has to find other areas to get offensive production from, and one young player who has taken a step back this year is Kyle Manzardo. The young lefty broke out last season and slugged 27 homers with a .768 OPS, but his .660 OPS and .211 batting average this year are a big disappointment from somebody fans were counting on taking another step forward.
During a recent episode of Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, Adam Gerstenhaber voiced his support of Manzardo. He said it’s too early to give up on the 26-year-old and believes he is better than what we have seen thus far in 2026.
“It’s way too early to make a final judgment. The second half last year he was excellent. In May and June of this year, he was playing really well, but his lows have been really low. I’m not ready to give up on him, and let’s face it guys, this team doesn’t spend money so even if he’s a league average player he’s not going anywhere,” said Gerstenhaber.
Gerstenhaber’s co-host, Jason Lloyd, interjected when he was questioning whether or not Manzardo is the long-term answer at first base by pointing out that the long-term solution at first is top prospect Ralphy Velazquez. There is room for both of them if Manzardo can rediscover what he did last year, but it has to start soon especially now that Rhys Hoskins has four homers over his last nine games.
The trade deadline is just days away, and an upgrade at first base would be something the team could benefit quite a bit from. Hoskins is still hitting under .180 and Manzardo’s slumps have been brutal, but it remains to be seen if the front office has any interest in ponying up for a big bat.
The whole lineup would change if Manzardo got in the kind of groove he is capable of. Gerstenhaber’s assessment of him is valid, and while the slumps are rough, it’s too early to give up on him.
NEXT: One More Prospect Just Joined The Guardians' Pipeline
