2024 Cleveland Guardians Prospect Scouting Report: #1 1B Kyle Manzardo

Will Manzardo be the rare hit over power corner type that can succeed?

Kyle Manzardo Bio

• Age (2024 season): 23

• Acquired: Trade (TB, 2023, Aaron Civale)

• 2023 Level: Triple-A

• Height: 6’0

• Weight: 1205

• Bats: Left

• Throws: Right

Kyle Manzardo 2023 Stats

• PA: 415

• AVG/OBP/SLG: .237/.337/.464

• 2B: 27

• HR: 10

• SB: 1/2

• K%/BB%: 19%/13%

Kyle Manzardo 2024 Scouting Grades

• Hit: 60

• Power: 50

• Speed: 40

• Defense: 40

• Arm: 40

• Overall: 55

• Risk: Moderate

• ETA: 2024

Build & Background

Medium build overall. Undersized for a first base/corner type. Improved strength in lower body to go with strong arms. Below average athlete overall. First base only defensive profile. Crouched stance and good use of lower half and arms to extend on swing despite lacking size. Does have some length to his arms. Can cover most of the plate with his swing. Not “launch angle” geared swing, but swing path is deal for driving the ball in the air, especially to his pull side. Average bat speed. Plus makeup and worth ethic, mentally tough attitude. Overcame shoulder injury during 2023 season. From a non-traditional baseball area (Iowa) and a somewhat non-traditional baseball school (Washington State University). Acquired by the Guardians July 2023 from Tampa Bay in exchange for Aaron Civale.

What Manzardo Does Well

Good bat to ball skills and overall pitch recognition. Knows and handles the strike zone very well. Knows where his swing works best. Good feel for the barrel. Hit over power type profile, though his strength has improved and overall power has trended upwards early in 2024. Swing path helps him get the ball in the air and does well using the barrel to do damage to his pull side. Should be able to maximize power output due to contact ability/above average approach, and ability to lift and pull fly balls. Lacks “traditional” corner only power profile but should contribute a good combination of extra base hits plus on-base skills thanks to approach and pitch recognition. Adjusts well to breaking stuff low. Has improved approach against lefties so far in 2024. 

Where Manzardo Needs to Improve

At this point, it’s unlikely Manzardo ever develops true “first base” type power. Peak over the fence power may be 25 homers or so. Has struggled with left handers in the past, though that has improved early in 2024. While he has a good approach at the plate, Manzardo can show some passivity at times and may take called third strikes or pass on strikes, though he may think he can’t do damage against them. Swing can struggle to cover the top half of the zone with velocity, and has shown some weakness against higher end velocity over all. Has worked to improve overall footwork at first base and throwing, but is an average mover at best around the bag. Not going to add value with his speed and unlikely with defense.

Key Stats

Hit six of his 17 homers in 2023 at Columbus in just 21 games. He needed 73 games to hit 11 while with Tampa Bay. The power output late in 2023 showed that he was able to successfully recover from the shoulder injury that put a dent in his overall hitting in the first half of 2024.

Intangibles

Manzardo is lauded for plus-makeup and work ethic. Pushed hard to play through shoulder issue and again rehab to come back after. Comes from a non-traditional baseball area, and forced to work harder to stand out. Has also had to deal with personal medical issues with family and continue to persevere on the field while dealing with that in the background.

Future

First base/DH types that aren’t prototypical sluggers are hard to project a ton of value to. Manzardo is going to need to be more of a throwback, Will Clark, John Olerud type of hitter for higher averages and doubles+homers power to add value offensively. If his peak is 25 homers, he should be able to combine that with 25 doubles or so do add to his slugging. He should be able to add offensive value through taking walks as well. I think he will hit enough and get the most out of his power due to the nature of his swing and batted ball type to be an above average offensive contributor, even with the lack of traditional power. The separator will be what he does against left handers and if he can learn to handle them or will have the be a platoon hitter, which would really eat into his offensive value as a non-slugger first base type. 

Role 

55 - Hit over power first baseman that hits enough, walks enough and maximizes his power output enough to be an above average offensive contributor.