Cleveland Guardians Slugger Can't Explain Perplexing Struggles

This Cleveland Guardians slugger is struggling in a very strange area this MLB season.

Apr 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (9) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians slugger Kyle Manzardo has certainly gotten off to an impressive start this season, as he has already tallied four home runs and 11 RBI over his first 12 games.

However, there are some rather alarming numbers in Manzardo's stat line, such as the fact that he is hitting just .227 and is just 4-for-32 against right-handed pitching.

Given that Manzardo is a lefty who raked against right-handers in the minor leagues (he hit .289 versus righties across four minor-league seasons), his struggles against them this year are a bit difficult to comprehend.

When asked about it, the 24-year-old didn't seem worried, but he also didn't seem to have any definitive answers.

“I’ve hit some balls pretty hard against righties,” Manzardo said, via Joe Noga of Cleveland.com. “Maybe it’s a little bit of just still getting going, but also some bad luck.”

Now, to be fair, Manzardo was never really known as an elite contact hitter, as he batted .279 overall in the Guardians's minor-league system. So perhaps the fact that he is hitting .227 against big-league pitching thus far in 2025 should not be overly surprising.

But it's the fact that Manzardo is laboring against righties while mashing lefties (albeit in a limited sample size) that is so puzzling.

Obviously, the season is young. There is plenty of time for the designated hitter to get going against righties, and overall, his results are pretty solid through the first couple of weeks.

Still, it would definitely be nice to see the youngster start becoming more of a dynamic threat against right-handed pitching, especially with Cleveland's offense struggling as a whole.

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