Kyle Manzardo broke out for the Cleveland Guardians last year with 27 homers and is now one of the focal points in what is, at times, a lifeless lineup. Fans know what they’re getting from Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, and if Manzardo can become as reliable as those two perennial All-Stars, it elevates what this team is capable of.
As good as Manzardo was last season, he slowed down over the last two months with a .738 OPS in August and .741 in September. If he is going to take another step forward to become a potential 30-homer, 100-RBI guy, he needs to finish strong, which was a major priority in his offseason work.
To ensure he finishes strong and keeps improving, Manzardo recently opened up about his offseason regimen. Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com quoted him as saying that he was worn down in the second half and bulked up this offseason to handle the rigors of a 162-game season better.
“I can’t think of anybody who wasn’t worn down by the end of the year,” said Manzardo. “But I feel like I may have been feeling it a little bit more than some of my teammates. That let me know, ‘OK, I’ve got to get after it this offseason and come back stronger.’”
Some see Manzardo as a breakout candidate once again, even though he arguably already broke out last year. That’s how highly he is viewed in this organization.
Cleveland has a lot of moving parts in the lineup this year, given how much it will be counting on the improvements of a number of prospects. The outfield is completely up in the air outside of Kwan and is waiting for Chase DeLauter, George Valera, Angel Martinez, and CJ Kayfus to establish themselves as big leaguers.
Manzardo was once a highly-regarded prospect asand he showed why with his 27 homers last year. It will be exciting to see if the added muscle helps him go up a level in 2026 and perhaps turn into a 35-homer bat that this offense sorely needs.
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