BOSTON \u2014 On Sept. 1, 2024, Paul Manzardo was with some friends in Chehalis, Wash., watching the Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates square off nearly 2,500 miles to the east.<\/p>\n
His son, Kyle, had been recalled from Triple A that day for his second stint in the big leagues. It was his first game in the majors in two and a half months, and in the fourth inning, he slugged his first career home run, a solo shot to right-center off Pittsburgh\u2019s Mitch Keller.<\/p>\n
Paul, of course, celebrated. Two innings later, when Kyle approached the plate for his next at-bat, the broadcast showed a replay of that homer. At least, Paul thought it was a replay. Manzardo had socked another Keller heater on the inside part of the plate to nearly the exact same spot in the outfield seats. Only when Paul noticed different body language did he realize, \u201cNo, that\u2019s a new home run.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manzardo was far more comfortable upon his second promotion to the big leagues. He asserted himself as a key member of Cleveland\u2019s lineup that month and wound up hitting second against righties during the team\u2019s postseason run. He hasn\u2019t looked back.<\/p>\n
One year has passed since that emphatic return, and no matter how the final month of this season shakes out, one of the prevailing developmental success stories, for a Guardians team desperate for them, will be Manzardo cementing himself as a middle-of-the-order bat.<\/p>\n
Manzardo turned 25 on July 18, which technically makes this his age-24 season (based on a player\u2019s age as of the end of June). He sits at 23 homers and a .774 OPS (league average is .721) in his first full season in the majors. The Guardians are 20-5 all-time when he homers.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say he hits five more homers before the end of the season, putting him at 28 in all. Here are the Cleveland hitters, age 24 or younger, with 28 homers in a season:<\/p>\n
Francisco Lindor (38 in 2018, 33 in 2017)
Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez (29 in 2017)
Grady Sizemore (28 in 2006)
Richie Sexson (31 in 1999)
Manny Ramirez (33 in 1996, 31 in 1995)
Albert Belle (28 in 1991)
Cory Snyder (33 in 1987)
Rocky Colavito (41 in 1958)
Hal Trosky (32 in 1937, 42 in 1936, 35 in 1934)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot of muscle on that list.<\/p>\n
The next frontier for Manzardo is to improve against lefties and to better his defense at first base. Manzardo receiving daily at-bats the rest of the season, no matter the handedness of the opposing pitcher, should be beneficial, and that\u2019s made possible by the release of Carlos Santana, who caught on with the Chicago Cubs.<\/p>\n
Before Sunday\u2019s action, 84.2 percent of Manzardo\u2019s plate appearances this season have come against righties. He has recorded a .248\/.331\/.472 slash line against them, and a .164\/.235\/.426 slash line against lefties.<\/p>\n
Here are some other thoughts on the Guardians:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Santana maintained an open dialogue with Cleveland\u2019s coaching staff and front office throughout the year, which shouldn\u2019t be surprising, given his history with the club. So when team president Chris Antonetti said Santana\u2019s release was a \u201cjoint decision,\u201d there\u2019s merit to it. It\u2019s not as though Santana was blindsided by how things unfolded.<\/p>\n
Santana seems like a lock for the franchise\u2019s Hall of Fame. He played for Manny Acta, Terry Francona and Stephen Vogt, three different eras of Cleveland baseball. In franchise history, he ranks 12th in games played, 12th in runs scored, 14th in hits, 11th in doubles, fifth in home runs, 11th in RBIs and second in walks.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most impressive part of Santana\u2019s evolution was his glove work. He started as an everyday catcher. He had a trial at third base. He made cameos in left field during interleague play and the World Series. And then he turned himself into a Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman. Even as he nears 40 years old, he remains a stout defender at first.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Bo Naylor said this weekend series against the Seattle Mariners marked the first time he had ever played against his older brother, Josh, aside from live at-bats during spring training. He was hoping he\u2019d have a chance to throw out his brother on the bases, but the opportunity never materialized. Bo said before the series, \u201cI\u2019d be shocked if (Josh) didn\u2019t\u201d attempt to steal on him if in position to do so. \u201cHe has that competitive nature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Josh has turned into a base-stealing maven this season, with 23 steals in 25 attempts. He swiped one with Austin Hedges behind the plate on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It\u2019ll be fascinating to see what sort of contract Josh lands in free agency this winter. He wasn\u2019t thrilled that the Guardians never conveyed interest in a long-term union, and it led to an icier relationship between him and the organization last year. He wasn\u2019t surprised that the Guardians traded him over the winter. He\u2019ll hit free agency as a 28-year-old first baseman who owns a .271\/.334\/.460 slash line the last four years.<\/p>\n
\u2022 For those keeping track, the Guardians traded Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December. They signed Santana to replace him. And now on Sept. 1, Naylor no longer plays for the Diamondbacks and Santana no longer plays for the Guardians.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It\u2019s jarring to pull up the Guardians\u2019 Baseball-Reference page, which displays head shots of the Top 12 players, in order of bWAR. The guy they just released, Santana, ranks fifth. Nic Enright ranks ninth. Who would have predicted that in March? Ben Lively ranks 11th. Who would have predicted that in early June, when he underwent season-ending elbow surgery? And the guy who ranks 10th is wearing a blue cap with a giant, yellow duck on it.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s Parker Messick, and it\u2019s a photo from his time last year with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks. He\u2019ll get a new head shot on there eventually, but he\u2019s only made two big-league starts. And he already ranks 10th on the team in bWAR. Messick is doing precisely what the Guardians have implored Joey Cantillo to do: pepper the strike zone. He\u2019s thrown 67.4 percent of his pitches for strikes, which has allowed him to be efficient, as he\u2019s logged 13 2\/3 innings in those two starts. The most impressive number for a rookie who should be shaking with jitters this early in his career: one walk. He\u2019ll have his toughest assignment yet on Monday at Fenway Park.<\/p>\n
With Messick in the fold, John Means nearing a return to the roster and Cantillo waiting for more opportunities, it\u2019s possible the Guardians work in a sixth starter here and there in September to give everybody some extra rest.<\/p>\n
\u2022 How fitting was it to hold the team\u2019s 1995 celebration with Mariners manager Dan Wilson in attendance? Wilson was the catcher for Seattle ace Randy Johnson when Kenny Lofton scored from second on a passed ball to seal Game 6 of the ALCS at the Kingdome, one of the more memorable scenes in club history. Former GM John Hart once referred to it as a moment that is frozen in time. Mike Hargrove, Cleveland\u2019s manager at the time, said the play sent blood rushing to his fingertips as he watched it unfold, stunned, from the dugout.<\/p>\n
As Lofton once described: \u201cYou always advance with an aggressive turn just in case the guy bobbles it. Sometimes guys kick a ball or something, you never know. But if you\u2019re lolly-gagging just to advance one base \u2014 you can never advance that way. Once I looked up and Randy had his back turned and Dan Wilson was moping with his head down, I was like, \u2018Oh, shoot.\u2019 I just kept going. It\u2019s just instincts, reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n