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Guardians' 'biggest disappointment' won't be on ALDS roster vs. White Sox
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- Guardians' 'biggest disappointment' won't be on ALDS roster vs. White Sox
Guardians' 'biggest disappointment' won't be on ALDS roster vs. White Sox originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Cleveland Guardians are looking for their second ALCS appearance in the last three years.
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They can accomplish the feat by taking down the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, starting this weekend.
Cleveland's ALDS roster will likely be revealed on Saturday morning, but there's little chance that a first baseman whom Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter called the "biggest disappointment" will be included.
"[Kyle] Manzardo served as the primary lineup protection for José Ramírez during the 2025 season, posting a 111 OPS+ with 27 home runs and 70 RBI in a breakout year offensively," Reuter wrote.
Unfortunately, Manzardo's role as lineup protection for Ramirez faded away as his production began to fade.
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"That production regressed to the point that he was demoted to Triple-A this year, and the Guardians went with deadline pickup Nathaniel Lowe as their primary first baseman down the stretch while chasing a division title," he added.
In 2026, Manzardo's strikeout percentage climbed from 25.4% in 531 plate appearances to 32% in 356 plate appearances.
MORE: How Mets, Dodgers and Guardians all made same brutal trade mistake amid MVP races
If he can cut down on the strikeouts, the Guardians should give him plenty of opportunties in the coming seasons.
Cleveland's lineup lacks power, and Manzardo has hit 45 career homers in less than 300 games in the Majors.
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This season was a disappointing one for Manzardo, but Guardians fans shouldn't give up on the 26-year-old yet.
