Former Lake City High star Manzardo drafted in second round by Tampa Bay

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Kyle Manzardo received the call of a lifetime shortly before 11 a.m. Monday.

The lefty swinging Washington State junior first baseman, a two-time All-American, and former Lake City High star was selected in the second round of the MLB first-year player draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, with the 63rd overall pick.

"I mean, it’s been crazy," Manzardo told The Press on Monday afternoon. "I woke up this morning knowing that I’d be going at some point today, and then around 11, the day started moving so quick."

While the San Diego Padres were making the 62nd pick, Manzardo, who was watching the draft from home with family and friends, got a call from his advisor and now agent, Randy Rowley, letting him know the Rays were going to take him with the next pick.

A few moments later, he was watching highlights of himself on the TV screen.

"It was crazy, hearing your name called, it really is," Manzardo said. "It was hard to hold it together at that moment. My dad (Paul) was freaking out, he was so excited, and my mom (Windy) started tearing up a little bit."

Shortly after the selection was made, Manzardo heard from James Bonacci, an area scout for the Rays. Manzardo had a Zoom meeting last week with some Rays representatives that he thought went well, but didn't think too much of it until Monday.

He's still awaiting word from the Rays on what's next, but assumes he'll travel to Tampa Bay in the near future for a physical and to visit the major league facility.

The minor league "ladder" has changed this year, but Manzardo said it's likely he'll be sent to the Rays' minor league training facility, then perhaps to a Rookie League team later in the summer.

According to MLB.com, the slot value (suggested maximum signing bonus) for the 63rd overall pick is $1.08 million.

"I’m really happy with the deal we agreed to, and couldn’t be happier to land at a place where they are known for their player development," Manzardo said, declining to give specifics of the deal.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Manzardo earned first-team All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball after finishing the regular season fourth in the Pac-12 Conference in hitting (.365), third in slugging (.640), second in RBI (60), tied for third in doubles (19), tied for ninth in home runs (11) and fourth in total bases (126).

As a sophomore in 2020, Manzardo hit .435 and hit in all 16 of the Cougars' games before COVID-19 canceled the rest of the season. He was a third-team All-America pick by Collegiate Baseball.

In his three seasons in Pullman, Manzardo hit .336 with 37 doubles, 16 home runs, 105 RBI and 149 hits. He set a WSU record with a 43-game on-base streak and recorded a 27-game hitting streak, the second-longest hitting streak in program history.

"I kinda went into college thinking I would go three years and then get drafted," Manzardo said. "And my freshman year didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to. It was a very difficult year for me, mentally and baseball-wise.

"I just found my routine, found my process, found what worked well for me, and stuck to it. Woke up this morning a second-round draft pick."

As a freshman, Manzardo hit .272 in 184 at-bats. Late in the season, Marty Lees was fired as WSU coach. Brian Green took over Kyle's sophomore year, and Manzardo bought in to Green's two-strike approach to hitting, which in general means seeing the ball longer and using a shorter, quicker swing.

Manzardo called the approach "a game-changer."

"I started thinking differently," Manzardo said. "When I was hitting I started thinking more objectively ... 'If I was a pitcher, what would I do to get myself out?'

"My freshman year, not a lot of thinking was involved, I was just going to go up and hit, and try and hit the ball hard. I’ve always had a good enough swing to be a good hitter, but thinking the game a little differently is what took me to the next level."

As a sophomore at Lake City, Manzardo helped the Timberwolves win the 2016 state 5A title — the program's second in school history.

Most projections had Manzardo being selected in rounds 3-5.

Joe Doyle of Prospects Live had Manzardo ranked 81st on the list of his top 600 prospects. Doyle's take on Manzardo:

"All Manzardo has done since arriving to WSU is hit. He was a freshman All-American and followed that up with a couple Pac-12 Player of the Week awards before things were shut down in 2020. Went on to mash in the Northwoods League. Potentially plus hitter with potential 50+ power. Some similarities to Rhys Hoskins (of the Phillies) in the swing and profile, though notably from the left side. Manzardo is one of the better pure bats in this class, though his profile is limited by a first-base-only defense."

Manzardo is the highest ever draft pick to be born in Coeur d'Alene. John Schroeder (Coeur d'Alene High) was a fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1994. Bobby Jenks of Spirit Lake (Timberlake High, Prairie Cardinals), who was born in California, was a fifth-round pick of the Angels in 2000.

Manzardo is the highest draft pick from WSU since Scott Hatteberg was selected in the first round compensation round, No. 43 overall in 1991. Pitcher Adam Conley was taken in the second round and No. 72 overall by the Florida Marlins in 2011.

Manzardo is the third baseball player drafted from Lake City, which opened in 1994. Kyle Johnson was picked in the 25th round by the Angels in 2012, and Aaron Gabriel was selected in the 28th round by the Marlins in 2002.

Following his first-team All-America season, Manzardo returned home to Coeur d'Alene and shaved his mustache and cut his hair for the first time since before Christmas.

"I’m not superstitious, but I am a little 'stitious,' so I couldn’t shave or cut my hair during this past season," Manzardo said.

He said he also got cleaned up now because "I kinda figured it was time to start being an adult … a real person and not this ghost that people see playing baseball on Twitter."

Folks on the social media site loved the 'stache, judging from the reaction.

But it doesn't necessarily mean the 'stache and the long hair are gone forever.

"It won’t be hard for me to grow it back," Kyle said. "I just cleaned up for the time being. I might let my hair grow out, and let the mustache grow."

Later Monday, Manzardo's WSU teammate, pitcher Zane Mills, was selected in the fourth round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gonzaga third baseman Brett Harris was picked in the seventh round by the Oakland Athletics. Zags shortstop Ernie Yake was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round.

The draft concludes Tuesday with rounds 11-20, beginning at 9 a.m. PDT.