Three Positives From the Week of May 5th

Good news storylines from a slow week in the Guardians universe.

It was a tough weekend on the field for the Guardians, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything positive to look back on. Here are three positives from the past week for this young team.

City Connects Revealed

Sunday evening, the Guardians officially released their City Connect uniforms. They feature a navy blue jersey with a subtle sandstone texture that almost gives the jersey a shiny look. They also include a red, white, and blue set of stripes training from the shoulder all the way down to the ankle. There is intricate stitching included on these stripes that can only be seen up close. The jerseys have CLE across the front in art-deco lettering that resembles the Guardians statues from which the team got their name.

It also includes more intricate details such as “Est. 1901” stitched into the collar to honor the year the organization began. There is also a small inscription of “The Land”, Cleveland’s nickname above the waistband. At the very least, the team will don these jerseys during every Friday home game this season. The jerseys will become available for purchase on Monday at 10 am.

Manzardo Collects First Hit

Since making his debut on May 6th, No. 2 prospect Kyle Manzardo has had a bit of a slow start. However, that didn’t matter on Wednesday as he collected his first hit, a single to left field against the Detroit Tigers. The first baseman/designated hitter is currently hitting .176/.176/.235 with three hits and seven strikeouts. These are surely just growing pains, however, as his numbers in Triple-A have shown us his true potential.

Prior to getting the call, he was hitting .303/.375/.642 across 29 games for the Columbus Clippers. He racked up 35 hits including nine home runs, showing off his power. Once he can get that power going, he will be vital to this Guardians offense.

Holding Onto First Place

Regardless of their 3-4 record over the past week, the Guardians are still holding onto the top spot in the AL Central. It’s been tough as the second place Minnesota Twins went on a twelve-game winning streak over the past two weeks, but Cleveland has been doing what they need to do to remain in first place.

With the help of veterans like Carlos Carrasco and young guns like David Fry, the pitching staff is doing just enough to give their hard-working offense the wins. With the return of Gavin Williams and Eli Morgan not too far off, there are hopes that the starters and bullpen will get a much needed break here soon. That, coupled with a hopeful resurgence from heavy hitters like Manzardo and José Ramírez, should spell good news for the Guards.