Cleveland Guardians prospects: Be patient with Kyle Manzardo

Maybe this goes without saying, but hey, give Kyle Manzardo a break, okay?

In his first taste of major-league action Monday night, Manzardo struck out in all three of his at-bats. Things weren't much better on Tuesday, as Manzardo struck out another two times. Not the debut you're hoping for, but then, on Wednesday, Manzardo laced an opposite-field single in a pitch-hit at-bat to finally break through and get his first career hit.

Hear that? That's the sound of Manzardo and the entire city taking a collective sigh of relief.

Manzardo no doubt has some of the best offensive skills of any prospect in baseball, but people really don't appreciate just how big a leap it is from Triple-A to the majors - and it's only getting more difficult for hitters. There's a reason why so many prospects tend to struggle right out of the gate before finding their footing, and a lot of it has to do with the quality of pitching in Triple-A. Top hitting prospects have simply never experienced pitchers like what the majors have to offer, and it can be a brutal transition for some.

However, given every available metric and scouting report, if anyone can adjust quickly to major-league pitching, it's Manzardo.

Baseball is a sport that demands patience more than any other; fans need to be mindful of the mental aspects of the game themselves. Manzardo will no doubt be fine, but there are going to be growing pains at times (just ask Bo Naylor how his season is going). With the current state of the game and the quality of pitching at the major-league level, it's unfair to ask hitting prospects to always hit the ground running. So let's just ride the wave and enjoy watching Manzardo's development in what is shaping up to be an exciting season.