It took a lot longer than anyone would have wanted, but when Kyle Manzardo finally hit his first home run of the 2026 season, he certainly made it count. The Cleveland Guardians first baseman connected on one of the most impressive blasts so far this year.
Facing Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder in the fourth inning at Truist Park, Manzardo launched a ball to center field that traveled 454 feet. At the time, it tied the game 1-1, but the Guardians ultimately lost 11-6 in the opener of the three-game series on Friday.
Ummm, hello, Kyle.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/EGTWf9dM9M
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 11, 2026
Manzardo joined a surprising list with his latest home run, as it is tied for fourth among the longest hit this season.
“Kyle Manzardo’s 454 foot home run last night is tied for the 4th longest ball of the season so far,” Mason Horodyski wrote on X.
Kyle Manzardo’s 454 ft homerun last night is tied for the 4th longest ball of the season so far
(chart via Screwball)#Guardians x #GuardsBall x @WEWS https://t.co/FjJUINfMFM pic.twitter.com/FjeS8MlyUB
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 11, 2026
It should be noted that three of the other home runs were hit at altitude in Colorado, including the two longest. Cam Smith hit a 462-foot home run for the Houston Astros against the Colorado Rockies on April 6 to top the list.
Earlier, on April 3, Philadelphia Phillies teammates Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber each hit long home runs at Coors Field. March connected at 454 feet in the first inning, and Schwarber followed at 460 feet in the fifth inning.
The longest home run hit near sea level is by Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers. His travelled 459 feet at Comerica Park.
A hit of any distance would be a welcome sight for Manzardo, as he has opened the season in a devastating slump. He ended the game against the Braves with a .103 batting average, which is still a vast improvement from the .061 mark he carried just two games ago.
After batting .234 with 27 home runs last year in his first full MLB season, he started this one by going 2-for-43 with no extra base hits, which may have had something to do with his offseason work in the weight room. He also struck out 10 times in his first four games.
Fortunately, he may be breaking out of it, at least a little bit, with two hits in his past two games, including this long home run.
NEXT: Former Player Drops Interesting Take On Chase DeLauter
