Guardians Hold 3 of MLB’s Unluckiest Hitters, With Obvious No. 1
The Cleveland Guardians began a series against the Braves with an 8-5 record. Several regulars have struggled in the early going despite strong underlying metrics.
Filmogaz.com notes the club features three of MLB’s unluckiest hitters so far. The disconnect between results and quality of contact is the common thread.
Kyle Manzardo
Manzardo has a .086 batting average through 12 games. He is 3-for-25 at the plate.
His expected weighted on-base average sits at .313. That suggests better outcomes are due.
He has a 34.1% strikeout rate. His average exit velocity is 83.2 mph, in the 82nd percentile.
Manzardo has put six balls in play above 100 mph. Only one of those hard hits produced a hit, a single on Opening Day against the Mariners.
He added an eighth-inning single against position player Tyler Tolbert. Manzardo’s wOBA of .172 trails his xwOBA by .141, third largest in baseball. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Josh Naylor rank ahead of him.
Bo Naylor
Bo Naylor is 4-for-29, with a .138 batting average. He has not recorded an extra-base hit yet.
His xwOBA is .303. That figure sits well above his current wOBA of .196.
Naylor posts an 18.1% whiff rate and a 14.3% barrel rate. He has seven batted balls over 100 mph but just one hit among them.
The .107 gap between his wOBA and xwOBA ranks 11th in the majors. His plate discipline and power indicators suggest better production is likely soon.
José Ramírez
José Ramírez carries a .163 average through 13 games. That marks one of the lower averages among Cleveland’s regulars.
His xwOBA is .348, and his expected batting average is .268. Those metrics show quality contact beneath the surface.
Ramírez’s April batting average of .260 stands as the worst April of his career. He also ranks in the 89th percentile in strikeout rate.
The club has leaned on other hitters while he works through this stretch. Given his track record, a rebound appears likely.
Context and outlook
All three players are creating hard contact or quality chances. Yet results have not matched the underlying numbers.
The Guardians will continue to run Manzardo into lineups at first base or as a designated hitter. Bo Naylor and Ramírez should also see regular opportunities.
Filmogaz.com will track how these players convert better luck into production. Manzardo remains the obvious No. 1 among the trio in terms of the luck gap.
