Three Standouts From Guardians Spring Breakout

Jhonkensy Noel, Kyle Manzardo, and Andrew Walters led the Cleveland Guardians to a victory in the first Spring Breakout Game.

Major League Baseball continues to push its young and exciting stars to the big stage. Their latest endeavor to do so is the Spring Breakout Series which is being held this weekend. 

The Cleveland Guardians took on the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night as each team showcased their top prospect. The Guards walked away with a 6-2 victory and there was a lot to like from the next wave of prospects.

Jhonkensy Noel

Jhonkensy Noel started the scoring for the Guardians in the top of the second inning with a home run to left field. This was the only hit that he had in the game but it still shows why the organization is high on what Noel can bring to the big league roster when the time comes.

Kyle Manzardo

It's becoming clearer and clearer that Kyle Manzardo not only deserves to be on the Opening Day roster, but the Guardians need him there for them to succeed. The latest evidence of this came in the Breakout game where he hit an absolute moonshot of a homerun on a 2-0 count. 

This may have been a game dedicated to prospects, but Manzardo proved he's ready for the next level. 

Mar 12, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Kyle Manzardo (73) bats against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Walters

Let's talk about the pitching because there was a lot to like on this front too. One of the most impressive pitchers in the entire game was 2023 Draft Pick Andrew Walters. The righty came into relief in the seventh inning and completely shut down the Reds offense. Walters struck out the side and gave up just one walk.

 It looks like the Guardians' pitching factory found another gem.