The Cleveland Guardians might have lost on Sunday, but that doesn’t change what they have done in recent weeks.
While playing short-handed as a result of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz being placed on non-disciplinary leave, plus some injuries, they have trimmed their AL Central deficit to just six games.
It was 15.5 games at the beginning of June.
The Guardians are also half a game removed from the third and final Wild Card slot in the American League.
Long story short, they have come back from the dead and now have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.
Everybody talks about their surging rotation, rock-solid bullpen, Jose Ramirez, and the much-improved play by Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias in the middle of the infield.
Young slugger Kyle Manzardo, however, deserves a mention of his own, too.
“Kyle Manzardo is on a tear over his last 15 games: .383 AVG, 1.163 OPS, 4 HRs, 18 Hits, 12 RBI. Cleveland’s young slugger has arrived,” Sleeper Guardians posted on X.
Kyle Manzardo is on a tear over his last 15 games:
🔺.383 AVG
🔺1.163 OPS
🔺4 HRs
🔺18 Hits
🔺12 RBICleveland’s young slugger has arrived🚀 #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/D7E2XrHs5Z
— SleeperGuardians (@SleeperGuards) August 11, 2025
Those are some big boy numbers right there.
Manzardo hasn’t been the most consistent hitter in the Guardians’ lineup this year, that’s for sure, but there is no denying he is currently carrying the offense and offering both batting average and power production.
For the year, the lefty masher is up to 20 home runs and a 123 wRC+, which means he has been 23 percent more productive than the league-average hitter in MLB.
That’s remarkable considering Cleveland didn’t really have many power threats besides J-Ram.
He might not be perfect, or even All-Star-caliber (at least not yet), but Manzardo has blossomed into a legitimate middle-of-the-order thumper.
He can take a walk, he can hit the ball hard, and he can send it over the fence.
At long last, Manzardo seems to be turning the corner.
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