Major League Baseball fans may not quite know about Kyle Manzardo. The left-handed hitting Manzardo, 24, is splitting time for the Cleveland Guardians this year between serving as the team’s designated hitter, and playing first base. It has been made clear so far this spring, that veteran Carlos Santana, signed by the Guardians as a free agent this winter, will be the primary first baseman. That said, Manzardo is waiting in the wings to assume the role as the team’s primary first baseman. Probably in the very near future. That future may be sooner than expected. If Santana doesn’t hit. And if Manzardo keeps hitting. Manzardo may be flying under the radar. Like he’s a bit of a secret. The Guardians have two players who defy the MLB norm of the big, tall major league first basemen. Kyle Manzardo isn’t a big presence at 5-11, 205 solid pounds. Santana is only 5-10, 210 pounds. This old scout has witnessed the majority of the Guardians spring training games. This just in-Manzardo can flat out hit. Hitting for average, and hitting for power are Manzardo’s most prominent baseball tools. For this scout, Manzardo has a Grade 60 hit tool, which is well above average. It means he should hit for a consistently strong batting average. Especially in clutch situations. For this scout, Manzardo carries a Grade 55 power tool. It means he is well above average in home run potential. Manzardo is slow, and is only an average first baseman, at best. But he is improving on defense. So far this spring, Manzardo has had a very impressive impact on a Guardians offense, which has been rather subdued, to put it kindly. It is not uncommon for baseball analysts and fans to wonder about the Guardians offense. They question how the Guardians will score runs? They question why the Guardians didn’t add to their offense this offseason? They question why the Guardians traded the right-side of the infield; including first baseman Josh Naylor and second base defensive wizard, Andres Gimenez? The criticism may or may not be valid. It is easy to forget the fact that the Guardians won 92 games last year, and made it all the way to the American League Championship Series, before losing to the New York Yankees. Yes, Naylor and Gimenez are gone. But center fielder Lane Thomas is with the team for the entire season. The Guardians still have probably the most underrated baseball player on the planet, in Jose Ramirez. And this year, the team will have a full season of Kyle Manzardo. He is likely to be in the lineup every game. To this old scout, Manzardo is such a good hitter, he can be very consequential in a lineup that includes Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Lane Thomas. And Santana may get hot and contribute. The Guardians front office believes in Santana, or he wouldn’t have been given a 1-year, $12 million contract, as a bridge at first base to Manzardo.
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