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Kyle Manzardo adds 15 pounds entering 2026 season with Guardians
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- Kyle Manzardo adds 15 pounds entering 2026 season with Guardians
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo spent the winter bulking up to add more power when he needs it, but his focus for the next step in his development in 2026 is actually centered around the thought that, sometimes, less is more.
It's all part of his renewed approach at the plate. And it has been powered by steak and chicken by the truckloads.
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Manzardo showed up to Guardians spring camp around 15 pounds heavier, with most of that being muscle he put on via an offseason weight-training program. Stories about players being "in the best shape of their lives" are littered around the league every spring, and it has become a cliche of sorts. With Manzardo, there was a direct intent to it.
Part one was to add some power. Part two was to put himself in a better physical condition to remain as close to his peak as possible throughout a grinding 162-game season.
A lot of it had to come via a change in his diet. He "made better decisions" and leaned into high-protein meals, namely a healthy amount of steak and chicken.
"It didn't kill me, honestly," Manzardo said. "Just being smarter, especially around the holidays, about what I'm putting in my body. … They're pretty bland meals, but it's food I like, at least."
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Kyle Manzardo stats
Manzardo hit .234 with 27 home runs , 19 doubles and 70 RBIs in 2025, his first full season in the majors, while handling the No. 4 spot in the lineup behind Jose Ramirez . He also took steps forward in the second half of the season (.735 OPS in his first 82 games, .811 OPS in his last 60), the result of a shortened load in his swing that made him quicker to the ball.
It was largely a successful season for the now-25-year-old infielder, and a 30-homer season in 2026 would be the next statistical milestone.
The 30-home milestone isn't his target number, though. He wants to have a more nuanced approach for the situation in 2026, meaning if he increases his RBIs, that's probably a better indicator than anything else.
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"I'd like to be better situationally this year," Manzardo said. "Moving runners over, moving runners in, ideally. Just do a better job of kind of working whatever situation I'm in. … I can't go up there and try to hit a home run every time. It's going to lead to some good things happening but, I mean, over the course of the year it's going to hurt us at times when I just need to get a runner over so we can score."
As the Guardians try to improve their 28th-ranked offense from a year ago, Manzardo represents a major part of those goals in the middle of the order. He's slated to see a large share of the at-bats between first base and designated hitter, as long as the opportunity isn't squandered.
Partially because of hitting behind Ramirez, the Guardians want Manzardo to make teams pay in situations that could be set up by trying to pitch around the All-Star third baseman. Sometimes, that means trying to do less, even if the added-on muscle means he can do more.
"Any hitter who's trying to drive the ball out of the ballpark is going to struggle," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "For Manzo putting on the extra strength, [it's so] he doesn't have to try anymore. When the ball is there, he's ready to hit it, it's going to travel.
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"He's a really, really good hitter and he also happens to have power, and I think he's just starting to tap into who he could be."
Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Guardians and Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians slugger arrives at camp with 15 pounds of added muscle
