Kyle

Manzardo

Manzardo took Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki deep to left-center field for a no-doubter that traveled 375 feet, according to Statcast. The 25-year-old first baseman is coming off a 27-homer campaign last year for the Guardians but still finds himself being selected outside the top 20 at the position, on average, in drafts this spring. He’s a strong late-round selection as a power-hitting corner infield option with a respectable batting average.

Manzardo’s two-run shot was literally the only offense his Guardians could muster up against Jack Leiter and the Rangers’ bullpen. He punished a changeup that sat in the middle of the plate and sent it 417 feet over the center field fence. All in all, Manzardo’s first full season should be considered a success with those 27 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .766 OPS with two games to play.

Manzardo has been starting more games against left-handed pitchers, but perhaps the Guardians feel that Tarik Skubal is a far more difficult challenge. Manzardo has hit .279 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI in 49 games since the All-Star break. He’s shaping up to be a solid fantasy contributor in 2026, but he will give way to Jhonkensy Noel at first base on Thursday. Angel Martinez will also start in center field, and David Fry will start at DH as the Guardians put most of their lefties on the bench against Skubal.

Manzardo was back in the cleanup spot tonight after sitting Tuesday for the second time in four games. It’s been odd to see him continue to be handled like this while functioning as far and away the Guardians’ second-best hitter. His .802 OPS is closer to José Ramírez’s .872 than it is to Steven Kwan’s third-place mark of .712.

The 25-year-old slugger has been mired in a bit of a funk at the plate, slashing just .180/.271/.377 with four homers, eight RBI and an 18/6 K/BB ratio over 70 plate appearances in his last 18 ballgames. Perhaps a night off to clear his head will do some good. David Fry will serve as the team’s designated hitter and bat cleanup against Ian Seymour and the Rays on Friday evening.

Manzardo hit a 418-foot blast off left-handed reliever Steven Matz in the eighth inning for his 24th home run of the season. The 25-year-old is hitting .233 on the season with those 24 home runs and 61 RBI, but he is hitting .270 in 36 second-half games after struggling through some off-field issues. He remains a solid corner infield option and an intriguing target in 2026 drafts now that he figures to be the full-time first baseman in Cleveland.

Manzardo took advantage of a rare mistake from Logan Gilbert to lash a homer over the right-field fence. The 25-year-old’s first full season of action has seen him hit 23 homers and drive in 60 runs over 117 games. There’s work to be done, but Manzardo has a chance to be a very strong fantasy option in the coming seasons.

Manzardo’s home run was his 22nd of the year. The 25-year-old DH hit a solo shot in the sixth inning off George Kirby. It was his first home run since August 12 against the Marlins. Manzardo was slugging just .136 in his last 13 games. Hopefully the home run is a sign he’s turning things around at the plate. He’s hitting .235 with a .775 OPS and 58 RBI this year.

Manzardo’s hit was a little grounder that would have been handled by the second baseman if first baseman Yandy Díaz hadn’t cut in front of him and had the ball go off his glove on a diving attempt. Manzardo’s other ball in play was more impressive; in the third, he hit a ball 397 feet even with the wind working against it. It was just a long flyout tonight, but it would have been a homer most of the time.

The outright waiver process is meant to be confidential, so there won’t be anything official from Cleveland for now. The 39-year-old veteran has ceded playing time to youngster Kyle Manzardo in recent weeks and the organization also has C.J. Kayfus on the big-league roster, who is capable of playing the cold corner. He’s had a down year offensively, but there might be a team out there willing to roll the dice as a bench bat for the postseason.