Manny Machado

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Manuel Arturo Machado

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Biographical Information[edit]

Manny Machado was the third pick of the 2010 amateur draft, following Bryce Harper and Jameson Taillon. His cousin Albert Almora was drafted almost as highly in 2012. Machado hit .639 as a high school senior with 56 RBI and 12 homers in 86 AB, 44 of his 55 hits going for extra bases. In the 2009 Junior Pan American Games, he hit two home runs to help give the USA its first Gold ever in the event.

Machado had a commitment to Florida International University in case he did not sign, but he was signed by scout John Martin for $5.25 million. He played nine games in 2010, hitting .306/.359/.472 between the GCL Orioles and Aberdeen Ironbirds. Baseball America rated him as the #14 prospect in baseball going into 2011. In his first game of 2011, he went 2 for 3 with a triple for the Delmarva Shorebirds. On a fast track to the majors, he played only 38 games at Delmarva, hitting .276 with 8 doubles and 6 homers, then finished the season with the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League. Between the two stops, his batting line was .257/.335/.421 in 101 games, with 20 doubles, 5 triples and 11 homers, scoring 48 runs and driving in 50. At 18, he was one of the youngest players in high A ball that year, and Baseball America took that into account in moving him up to #11 in its ranking of prospects heading into 2012.

Manny began 2012 in AA with the Bowie BaySox of the Eastern League where he was again among the youngest players in the league. In the 2012 Futures Game, he was a backup for the US in their 17-5 romp over the World. He replaced Billy Hamilton at shortstop in the 5th. He doubled off Ariel Pena his first time up, scoring Rob Brantly and Christian Yelich, and came home on a sacrifice fly by Wil Myers. He ended their 9-run inning by popping up versus Julio Rodriguez his second trip up in the 6th. His last time to the plate, he flew out against Bruce Rondon in the 8th.

He had played 108 games, hitting .266/.350/.431 when the Orioles announced on August 8th that he was being called up to The Show. He was expected to play mainly third base in the big leagues, after being almost exclusively a shortstop in the minors, since J.J. Hardy was manning the shortstop position for the O's and playing very well, with the team in unexpected contention for a postseason berth. Team Vice-president Dan Duquette described Machado thus: "Manny should be a plus-defender, wherever we play him. He's a five-tool player, and he can help our team. I think he improves our team, and it's important here [for this club] to be strong." Wearing number 13, he made his debut on August 9th, playing third base and batting 9th in an 8-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. He was one of his team's lone bright spots as he went 2 for 4 with a triple and a run scored. The triple was his first big league hit, achieved off Will Smith in the 5th inning; he then scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Markakis. He made his presence even more felt in his second game on August 10th, when he hit a pair of homers and driving in four runs in a 7-1 win over the Royals. Both shots were off Luke Hochevar and landed n the left field seats at Camden Yards - in fact, both were caught by the same fan! He was the youngest player in Orioles history to have a two-homer day, beating slugger Boog Powell in 1962, and the 12th youngest major leaguer to do so. He made it three homers in his first 16 at-bats with another long ball on August 12th, although that one needed a video review before being allowed. He also had a double the previous day, and was hitting .375 with a 1.286 slugging percentage after four games. He came to Earth after that and finished his first MLB campaign at .262/.294/.445 with 7 homers in 191 AB. On October 10, he became the second-youngest player ever to homer in the postseason (following Andruw Jones); he only held the mark for two days, before Bryce Harper passed him. It was a rare bright spot in the playoffs, as he was 3 for 19 with two walks, a double and the homer overall.

In the spring of 2013, he announced his engagement to Yannie Alonso, sister of San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso. He began the season on a record-setting pace for doubles: at the end of May, he had hit 25 doubles, the most in the major leagues, which projected to 73 over a season if he were to keep this torrid pace. The all-time single-season record was only 67, by Earl Webb. Manny was not only hitting doubles, however. He also led the majors in hits with 79, and was batting .336, confirming his place as one of the top hitters in the major leagues while still only 20. Not surprisingly, he was named to the All-Star team for the first time, the nomination coming on his 21st birthday. On September 14th, while his doubles pace had fallen considerably since his tremendous start, he still became the youngest player in major league history to record 50 two-base hits in a season. Unfortunately, his season ended a week early, when he badly twisted his knee after stepping awkwardly on first base in the 7th inning of a key game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 23rd. He ended the year with a batting line of .283/.314/.432, with 51 doubles, 88 runs scored, 14 homers and 71 RBIs. At first, it looked as though he may have ruptured some ligaments in his knee, putting his availability for the next season in question, but it turned out that the operation he required came with a rehabilitation period of four to six months.

Machado returned in spring training in 2014, but was slowed down by problems with scar tissue in his knee, forcing him to miss opening day and the entire month of April. He made his debut on May 1st, starting the second game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates after playing a few rehabilitation games with the Frederick Keys. He hit his first career grand slam on June 1st, in the 6th inning off Scott Feldman of the Houston Astros in a 9-4 win. On June 8th, he was ejected from a game against the Oakland Athletics when he apparently threw his bat at Oakland 3B Josh Donaldson on a swing in the 8th inning. He had had a confrontation with Donaldson over a tag play earlier in the series, and had been brushed back from the plate by Fernando Abad on the pitch before, prompting a stare down with the pitcher. The bat landed a ways away from Donaldson, and after the game, Machado denied any aggressive intentions, claiming the bat had simply escaped from his hands. He apologized for the incident the next day, but still received a five-game suspension, although it took three weeks for the appeal process to be completed in order for Manny to begin serving the suspension. He hit the first walk-off homer of his career on July 29th against Cory Rasmus of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, connecting in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 7-6 win. On August 13th, however, he returned to the DL, this time with a sprained ligament in his right knee, the result of taking an awkward swing two nights earlier. More bad news followed on August 22nd, when it was announced he would require season-ending surgery. He ended the year with a .278 average in 82 games, with 12 homers and 32 RBIs.

Machado made an excellent comeback with the Orioles in 2015 when he played all 162 games and hit .286 with 35 homers and 86 RBIs while scoring 102 runs. He returned to the All-Star Game, won his second Gold Glove at third base and finished fourth in the voting for the 2015 American League Most Valuable Player Award. He got off to a great start in 2016 as he was named the American League Player of the Month for April on the strength of a .344 average, 10 doubles, 7 home runs and 16 RBIs. He continued to hit like a machine over the next few months, picking up a third participation in the All-Star Game along the way. On August 7th, he had a chance to do something truly special when he homered in the first three innings of a game against the Chicago White Sox. He went deep off James Shields for a two-run shot in the 1st, then followed that with a three-run shot off Shields in the 2nd, and in the 3rd he went deep with another runner on base against Matt Albers. At that point, he was the first player since Mike Cameron in 2002 to have hit three homers before the 4th inning (with 7 RBIs to boot), but he made outs in his last three turns at bat and had to settle for a mere three-homer game as the O's won, 10-2. He finished the year hitting .294 in 157 games, the highest batting average of his career, with 40 doubles and 37 homers, to go along with 105 runs scored and 96 RBIs, setting personal highs for homers, runs and RBIs as well. He finished fifth in the MVP voting. In the Wild Card Game, he went 1 for 4 as the Orioles lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings.

He started the 2017 season slowly as he hit .224 in April and was down to .205 by the end of May, although he continued to score and drive in runs in double figures both months and had 10 doubles and as many homers by May 31st. He was hitting better in June, going .286 with 2 doubles and 2 homers over his first six games when he had to sit down a number of games with a hand injury. He returned on June 12th and continued to raise his average. He had a highlight game on June 20th when he went 4-for-4 with a double and two homers in a 6-5 win over the Cleveland Indians, scoring 3 runs and driving in 4. He really came alive after the All-Star break though, hitting .339 with 26 RBIs in his first 31 games after the mid-season pause. On August 18th, he had the second three-homer game of his career, capping it with a walk-off grand slam off Keynan Middleton of the Angels in a 9-7 win. He had 7 RBIs in the game. He hit .341 in August with 12 homers and 35 RBIs to be named the American League Player of the Month for the second time of his career. On September 5th, he hit a two-run walk-off homer off Dellin Betances of the Yankees with two outs in the 9th to give Baltimore a come-from-behind 7-6 win; it was his second homer of the game giving him a team-high 32 on the year. In 156 games, he hit .259 with 32 homers and 95 RBIs.

After the 2017 season, there were lots of trade rumors involving Machado, based on the fact he would become a free agent in a year's time and wanted to test the open market. However the Orioles were asking for a load of prospects in return for what would in effect be a one-year rental, and were unable to find a trading partner. Instead, they announced that in 2018, Machado would move to shortstop, switching positions with Tim Beckham, who would slide over to third base. He had a great first half in spite of the turmoil and the very poor performance of his team, hitting .315 with 24 homers and 65 RBIs in the first half. He was the O's sole representative at the 2018 All-Star Game, and before the game, the rade rumors reached a boiling point, with many reporters claiming he had been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and that the two teams were just waiting for the game to be over to announce the deal. Indeed, the next day, July 18th, it was announced that he had been traded to the Dodgers in return for five prospects: OF Yusniel Diaz, 3B Rylan Bannon, Ps Dean Kremer and Zach Pop and 2B Breyvic Valera. The Dodgers had lost SS Corey Seager for the remainder of the season and were obviously willing to go all-in to win the World Series. He did well for the Dodgers, hitting .273 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs in 66 games, giving him a combined line of .297/37/107 in 162 games. He batted clean-up in the postseason and while he hit a couple of homers in the Division Series and hit .286 with 5 runs scored and 3 RBIs in the NLCS, he also courted controversy. He was criticized for not running a couple of ground balls, and then for a couple of unsportsmanlike plays in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. These included trying to hook SS Orlando Arcia's leg in an attempt to break up a double play (he was found guilty of interference) and then deliberately spiking 1B Jesus Aguilar while being thrown out on a routine ground ball. He was roundly booed when the Dodgers returned to Milwaukee for Game 6, but in Game 7, he surprised everyone by laying down a perfect bunt for a single with a full count, leading to his team's first run as they defeated the Brewers and advanced to the World Series. he tried to justify some of his behavior by stating that he was not "Johnny Hustle', which did not go over well either. In the World Series, he went 4 for 22 as the Dodgers were defeated by the Boston Red Sox in five games.

Machado and Bryce Harper were the two biggest names on the free agent market after the 2018 season, and it took both a long time to get signed. Not that teams were uninterested, but they were not ready to make the type of earth-shattering offers that the two players were hoping for. In the end, Machado was the first to sign, on February 19, 2019, and he did so for a historic amount: $300 million over 10 years, making it the biggest free agent contract in baseball history, besting the $275 million offered to Alex Rodriguez after the 2007 season, and the second-biggest overall, trailing just the $325 million given to Giancarlo Stanton. The suitor was a surprise, however, as it was the San Diego Padres, in the middle of a rebuild, who were willing to make such a generous offer. He was slated to move back to third base with the Friars. The signing was officially announced by the Padres on February 21st. In one of his first games for his new team on April 4th, he was called out for interference for a gesture that reminded observers of his clash with Jesus Aguilar in the previous NLCS: he hit a high pop-up near home plate and then almost ran into catcher John Ryan Murphy of the Arizona Diamondbacks and also deposited his bat near the catcher's feet in an apparent attempt to distract him. It worked in that Murphy failed to make the catch, but home plate umpire Bill Welke was not amused and called Machado out, explaining after the game that a batter has to allow the fielder to make a play and cannot distract him, whether it is intentional or not. Machado had another run-in with Welke on June 15th, when he argued vehemently with the veteran umpire after having been called out on strikes and being ejected for arguing the decision. He threw his bat against the backstop with full force and allegedly shoved the ump (the video of the incident did not appear to show anything more than accidental superficial contact while Machado was waiving his arms during the argument). He was handed a one-game suspension, but the umpires' union reacted by calling the punishment insufficient. The umpires' reaction was judged excessive by most observers. The Padres did not immediately improve in spite of Machado's addition, and his production was a bit of a disappointment as he hit .256 in 156 games, with 32 homers and 85 RBIs. He led the National League in grounding into double plays, with 24, but did maitain an OPS+ of 110.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, however, the young padres put things together and had a great year, with Manny bouncing back to have an outstanding season. Playing all 60 games, he hit .304 with 16 homers and 47 RBIs, raising his OPS+ to 158. He also won the Silver Slugger Award as his league's best-hitting third baseman for the first time, and finished third in the voting for MVP. In the postseason, he hit a home run in both the Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but only had two other hits and 2 of his 3 runs and both of his RBIs were the results of the two solo homers. The Padres were thus swept by L.A. in the Division Series, but they had established what looked to be the foundations of a future juggernaut, with Manny one of the key members of the team. In 2021, he hit .278 in 153 games, with 28 homers and 106 RBIs, with an OPS+ of 131. However, it was a disappointing season for the team, which collapsed in the second half and missed the postseason altogether.

In 2022, there was additional pressure on Manny as the team's other big star, SS Fernando Tatis Jr., ended up missing the entire season with an off-season injury, followed by a positive drug test. He was the team's offensive leader, batting .298 with 37 doubles, 32 homers, 100 runs and 102 RBIs for an OPS+ of 159. He made it to the All-Star Game for the 6th time and led the Padres to a postseason appearance as a wild card team. He went 13 for 48 during the three rounds in which the Padres played with 4 homers and 7 RBIs. He finished second in the voting for the MVP Award, behind Paul Goldschmidt. Heading into the 2023 season, he stated that he was planning to opt out of his contract after the season, in order to become a free agent once again. Before that, he joined the Dominican Republic national team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic as he chose to represent the country his parents came from, and not the one of his birth, then on February 26th agreed to an 11-year, $350 million extension with the Padres.

On June 15, 2023, his 8th homer of the season, against the Cleveland Guardians, was the 65th of his career hit at Petco Park. That tied him with Adrian Gonzalez for most by any player at the ballpark.

When he was still a teenager, he met Yonder Alonso, who was already a big star at the University of Miami, and he became his mentor and training partner, showing him what had to be done to reach the top of his abilities. The two became close friends off the field as well, and ended up as brothers-in-law as Manny married Yonder's younger sister, Yainee. Off the field, in 2023, Machado became an investor in the expansion franchise granted to San Diego by Major League Soccer, that is slated to begin play in 2025.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • 6-time All-Star (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021 & 2022)
  • 2-time AL Gold Glove Winner (2013 & 2015)
  • NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2020)
  • AL At-Bats Leader (2013)
  • AL Doubles Leader (2013)
  • 20-Home Run Seasons: 8 (2015-2019 & 2021-2023)
  • 30-Home Run Seasons: 6 (2015-2019, 2022 & 2023)
  • 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (2015, 2016 & 2022)
  • 100 RBI Seasons: 3 (2018, 2021 & 2022)

Further Reading[edit]

  • AJ Cassavell: "Machado to Padres on record deal, sources say: 10-year, $300 million agreement is largest free-agent pact in American sports history", mlb.com, February 19, 2019. [1]
  • AJ Cassavell: "Making of Manny is no story without Yonder: Workout partners. Brothers-in-law. Alonso, Machado have unique bond", mlb.com, March 7, 2021. [2]
  • AJ Cassavell: "At 29, Machado joins MLB royalty with 1,500 hits, 250 HRs", mlb.com, June 16, 2022. [3]
  • AJ Cassavell: "'He's our leader': Machado trying to guide Padres to historic upset", mlb.com, October 14, 2022. [4]
  • AJ Cassavell: "Machado, SD agree to 11-year, $350M extension", mlb.com, February 26, 2023. [5]
  • AJ Cassavell: "Why a healthy Machado could thrive in 2024", mlb.com, January 22, 2024. [6]
  • Brittany Ghiroli: "Machado focused on present, not future: With free agency looming after 2018, star excited to be part of 'special group'", mlb.com, February 18, 2017. [7]
  • Brittany Ghiroli: "Moving Manny? Orioles listening to offers: Machado to be free agent after coming season, expresses desire to play SS", mlb.com, December 13, 2017. [8]
  • Brittany Ghiroli: "Machado ponders future in Baltimore, at short", mlb.com, February 17, 2018. [9]
  • Brittany Ghiroli: "Machado aiming to make '18 something special: O's star looking to lead by example as he makes switch to shortstop", mlb.com, March 4, 2018. [10]
  • Ken Gurnick: "Dodgers land Machado in blockbuster with O's: Four-time All-Star goes to Los Angeles for five prospects", mlb.com, July 18, 2018. [11]
  • Richard Justice: "Machado unfazed by controversy, Fenway boos", mlb.com, October 23, 2018. [12]
  • Bll Ladson: "Machado's focus in pivotal year amazes Jones: Orioles shortstop in top form while facing free agency, trade buzz", mlb.com, June 10, 2018. [13]
  • Jack Magruder: "Machado focused on this season, but plans to opt out", mlb.com, February 17, 2023. [14]
  • Bob Nightengale: "Growing pains behind him, Manny Machado, at 23, reclaims All-Star status", USA Today Sports, July 7, 2015. [15]
  • Bob Nightengale: "As Manny Machado begins final camp with Orioles, lucrative future - with Yankees? - awaits", USA Today Sports, February 17, 2018. [16]
  • Bob Nightengale: "Manny Machado's future Dodgers teammates ready for big things after All-Star Game trade", USA Today, July 18, 2018. [17]
  • Bob Nightengale: "Dodgers seize moment, go all-in with trade for Manny Machado", USA Today Sports, July 18, 2018. [18]
  • Bob Nightengale; "Manny Machado agrees to 10-year, $300 million deal with San Diego Padres", USA Today, February 19, 2019. [19]
  • Bob Nightengale: "Money talks: Padres' big offer brings Manny Machado to San Diego", USA Today, February 19, 2019. [20]
  • Jorge L. Ortiz: "Manny Machado, back from the 'dead,' drives Orioles with second-half surge", USA Today Sports, August 15, 2017. [21]
  • jeff Passan: "Padres, Manny Machado finalizing $350M extension", ESPN.com, February 26, 2023. [22]
  • John Perrotto: "Orioles' Manny Machado enters equation of who’s best", USA Today Sports, June 17, 2016. [23]

Related Sites[edit]

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