Kyle Manzardo

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #4 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Manzardo was a three-year starter at Washington State and truly broke out in 2021 as a junior, when he hit .366/.437/.640 with 11 home runs in 47 games. That led him to be drafted in the second round by the Rays and, at pick No. 63 overall, he became the highest drafted Cougar in 30 years. Manzardo has moved quickly in the minor leagues, opening the 2023 season as a 22-year-old at Triple-A Durham. He was sidelined for about six weeks with a dislocated shoulder, costing him an appearance in the Futures Game. The Rays dealt Manzardo to the Guardians at the trade deadline for veteran righthander Aaron Civale and he played well down the stretch after returning from the injury. He shined in the Arizona Fall League, finishing just off the league lead with six home runs and 14 extra-base hits in 22 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Manzardo has a first base-only profile, which can be limiting, but his bat has lived up to the pressure. The lefthanded hitter has an advanced approach and does an excellent job controlling the strike zone--he struck out in 19.2% of his Triple-A plate appearances. He’s not a passive hitter, however. Instead, Manzardo’s pitch recognition and batting eye allow him to make excellent swing decisions. He has above-average power and gets to it well in games, particularly in cases when he can pull the ball. Manzardo is a bottom-of-the-scale runner. He’s a capable first baseman with good hands.
  
  The Future: Manzardo is the kind of power hitter the Guardians have long been looking to add to their lineup. Josh Naylor played the bulk of the 2023 season at first base, but there is room at DH. Manzardo will likely figure into the 2024 lineup at those positions, possibly as soon as Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 20 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #5 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: After Manzardo starred at Washington State, the Rays drafted the athletically limited first baseman in the second round in 2021, counting on a potent bat to make up for his limited athleticism. He has rewarded their faith. Manzardo climbed further faster than any other Rays prospect in 2022. Tampa Bay generally has players spend a full year at one level in their first full season, but Manzardo torched the High-A South Atlantic League. After a post-trade deadline promotion, he handled the jump to Double-A Montgomery and finished among the top 10 in the minors in batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.617).
  
  Scouting Report: Manzardo's stance and lefthanded swing are simple and well-timed. He is a pure hitter who presents pitchers with a puzzle. He rarely swings and misses at pitches in the zone, and he knows the zone well enough to rarely swing at pitches off the plate. Manzardo doesn't hit the ball exceptionally hard (88 mph average exit velocity), but he knows how to yank the ball over the fence, and he peppers the gaps with a swing that can drive the ball to all fields. Manzardo posts high batting averages despite the fact that he's a bottom-of-the-scale runner who gets no infield hits. Manzardo was much better at home than on the road in 2022, and his Bowling Green and Montgomery home parks might have boosted his power output. Despite his lack of foot speed, Manzardo is a competent first baseman with good hands and an average arm. He handles what he gets to with few issues, but his range is limited.
  
  The Future: After a successful half-season in Double-A, Manzardo should spend much of 2023 at Triple-A Durham. He could be an option for the big league club by the end of 2023. Manzardo's lack of athleticism and first base-only profile puts a lot of pressure on his promising bat.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 70. Power: 55. Run: 20. Field: 50. Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #79 prospect in 2021 draft
  Due in part to a dearth of quality college bats as well as an impressive season, Manzardo has shot up draft boards in his junior year and is now expected to be the first player taken out of the Pacific Northwest. The son of a coach, Manzardo was under the radar coming out of high school from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but he’s performed since arriving in Pullman. Manzardo had a solid freshman season (.272/.335/.364), then hit .435/.500/.694 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in the shortened 2020 campaign. This year, he’s been just as good, hitting .365/.437/.640 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs while cutting his strikeout rate significantly (12.7%) and raising his walk rate (10.9%). His defensive profile likely has him resigned to first base, with below-average defense at the position, and he’s not a great athlete, with below-average speed. Manzardo will have to rely on his bat to lead the way, but he has an advanced feel to hit from the left side. He gets credited for a strong approach to the game and has some of the best pitch-recognition skills of the class. Manzardo hits the ball to all fields, but can pull the ball well when needed and consistently works long at-bats. In addition to his plus bat, Manzardo has above-average power out of his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, with the potential to hit 20 home runs in the big leagues.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #58 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #60 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: After Manzardo starred at Washington State, the Rays drafted the athletically limited first baseman in the second round in 2021, counting on a potent bat to make up for his limited athleticism. He has rewarded their faith. Manzardo climbed further faster than any other Rays prospect in 2022. Tampa Bay generally has players spend a full year at one level in their first full season, but Manzardo torched the High-A South Atlantic League. After a post-trade deadline promotion, he handled the jump to Double-A Montgomery and finished among the top 10 in the minors in batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.617).
  
  Scouting Report: Manzardo's stance and lefthanded swing are simple and well-timed. He is a pure hitter who presents pitchers with a puzzle. He rarely swings and misses at pitches in the zone, and he knows the zone well enough to rarely swing at pitches off the plate. Manzardo doesn't hit the ball exceptionally hard (88 mph average exit velocity), but he knows how to yank the ball over the fence, and he peppers the gaps with a swing that can drive the ball to all fields. Manzardo posts high batting averages despite the fact that he's a bottom-of-the-scale runner who gets no infield hits. Manzardo was much better at home than on the road in 2022, and his Bowling Green and Montgomery home parks might have boosted his power output. Despite his lack of foot speed, Manzardo is a competent first baseman with good hands and an average arm. He handles what he gets to with few issues, but his range is limited.
  
  The Future: After a successful half-season in Double-A, Manzardo should spend much of 2023 at Triple-A Durham. He could be an option for the big league club by the end of 2023. Manzardo's lack of athleticism and first base-only profile puts a lot of pressure on his promising bat.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 70. Power: 55. Run: 20. Field: 50. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: After Manzardo starred at Washington State, the Rays drafted the athletically limited first baseman in the second round in 2021, counting on a potent bat to make up for his limited athleticism. He has rewarded their faith. Manzardo climbed further faster than any other Rays prospect in 2022. Tampa Bay generally has players spend a full year at one level in their first full season, but Manzardo torched the High-A South Atlantic League. After a post-trade deadline promotion, he handled the jump to Double-A Montgomery and finished among the top 10 in the minors in batting average (.327), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.617).
  
  Scouting Report: Manzardo's stance and lefthanded swing are simple and well-timed. He is a pure hitter who presents pitchers with a puzzle. He rarely swings and misses at pitches in the zone, and he knows the zone well enough to rarely swing at pitches off the plate. Manzardo doesn't hit the ball exceptionally hard (88 mph average exit velocity), but he knows how to yank the ball over the fence, and he peppers the gaps with a swing that can drive the ball to all fields. Manzardo posts high batting averages despite the fact that he's a bottom-of-the-scale runner who gets no infield hits. Manzardo was much better at home than on the road in 2022, and his Bowling Green and Montgomery home parks might have boosted his power output. Despite his lack of foot speed, Manzardo is a competent first baseman with good hands and an average arm. He handles what he gets to with few issues, but his range is limited.
  
  The Future: After a successful half-season in Double-A, Manzardo should spend much of 2023 at Triple-A Durham. He could be an option for the big league club by the end of 2023. Manzardo's lack of athleticism and first base-only profile puts a lot of pressure on his promising bat.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 70. Power: 55. Run: 20. Field: 50. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Midseason Update: Manzardo has to hit, because there&#39s little other value he provides on the diamond. He&#39s a below-average defender at first and he&#39s a well below-average runner. The good news is Manzardo is quite the hitter. In the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, he hit .435/.500/.694. In the full 2021 season, he hit .365/.437/.640 and that combination of high on-base percentage, high batting average and solid power has carried over to his brief pro career. Manzardo has been one of the best hitters in the South Atlantic League, having skipped over Low-A. He is hit-over-power with a plus hit tool and average power, but the 21-year-old may grow into more power as he ages, and his ability to make consistent hard contact is noteworthy.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 65. Power: 50. Run: 30. Field: 40. Arm: 45.