Manny Machado
Manuel Arturo Machado is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. Highly recruited from an early age, he was raised in Miami, where he attended Brito High School and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the third overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He bats and throws right-handed. He has played for the Dominican Republic national baseball team.
Machado made his MLB debut with Baltimore in August 2012. He had his breakout year in 2013, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team on his way to leading the league in doubles with 51. He was also recognized as one of the best fielders in the game, winning a Gold Glove Award. His defensive prowess has earned him frequent comparisons to former Orioles third baseman and Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. In 2018, an impending free agent, Machado was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and helped the team reach the World Series. That offseason, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres, the richest contract in the history of North American sports at the time. Since 2013, Machado has made the All-Star Game seven times, the All-MLB First Team two times, won two Gold Gloves, and three Silver Slugger Awards. He is the Padres' all-time home run leader.
Early life
Machado was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He was raised by his mother, Rosa Machado, his grandfather, Francisco Nunez, and his uncle, Geovanny Brito. He is of Dominican heritage. Machado grew up in Hialeah alongside future MLB center fielder Albert Almora, and while they are not related by blood they consider each other to be cousins.Machado attended Brito Miami Private School and committed to attend Florida International University. He grew up a fan of the Florida Marlins.
Professional career
Minor leagues
The Baltimore Orioles selected Machado in the first round, with the third overall selection, in the 2010 MLB draft. He was the second high school player drafted, as well as the second position player. He signed a $5.25 million contract, just minutes before the deadline on August 16, 2010. While his agent Scott Boras was negotiating his contract, Machado spent the summer of 2010 playing for USA Baseball's 18-and-under national team. Machado was introduced to the Orioles in mid-September when the Orioles hosted the New York Yankees.On August 22, Machado reported to the Orioles minor league complex to join the Gulf Coast League Orioles. Machado made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Orioles on August 27, 2010, where he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He played as the designated hitter. Machado hit his first professional home run in his second game with the Orioles. Machado made his debut with the Low-A Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York–Penn League on August 30, 2010, where he went 1-for-3 with a single. He played shortstop, instead of being the DH, as he did with the Orioles, and he was pulled after the fifth inning. Machado began the 2011 season with the Delmarva Shorebirds, playing shortstop. He hit five home runs before May 1, and was named the South Atlantic League player of the week for April 25 – May 1. After missing several weeks with a knee injury, he returned to play 10 more games and appear in the SAL All-Star Game on June 21, 2011. After the game, he was promoted to the High-A Frederick Keys. He was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.
Baltimore Orioles (2012–2018)
2012
The Orioles promoted Machado to MLB from the Double-A Bowie Baysox on August 9, against the Kansas City Royals. He started at third base, as the team already had J. J. Hardy at shortstop. The following day, against the same opponent, he hit his first and second career home runs, making him the youngest Oriole and 12th youngest player in major league history to have a multi-homer game. The two home runs were both off former number-one overall draft choice Luke Hochevar. He then hit his third career home run on August 12 off Bruce Chen. In Game 3 of the 2012 ALDS, Machado hit his first career postseason home run. The Orioles lost the division series to the New York Yankees in five games.Machado finished his rookie season having played in all 51 of the remaining Oriole games. In 202 plate appearances, he hit.262 with eight doubles, three triples, 7 home runs, 26 RBI, and two steals in as many attempts. He collected 50 hits and scored 24 runs.
2013
Machado had three hits on May 27, giving him 40 multi-hit games in his career, tying Ty Cobb for the major league record for the most multi-hit games before age 21 in history; on May 30, he went 2-for-3 to break Cobb's record. Machado's 44 hits in May 2013 were the second-most in a month by a player under 21 behind Mickey Mantle's 46 in July 1952. At the end of May, Machado led the major leagues with 25 doubles and was tied for the MLB lead in hits with reigning AL MVP Miguel Cabrera. Exactly halfway through the season, Machado got his 37th double, putting him on pace to break the single-season record in his first full season.On June 27, 2013, Machado argued a correctly ruled strike-three call, leading to his first career MLB ejection. Coincidentally, this was also the first career MLB ejection for the umpire who threw him out, Will Little.
An All-Star, he slashed.310/.337/.470 with 7 home runs, 45 RBI, and 39 doubles in the first half.
Machado suffered a left knee injury when reaching first base after a hit on September 23, 2013. Machado received immediate medical attention and left the game on a stretcher. The injury also ended his consecutive games played streak at 207. Machado was ruled out for the rest of the 2013 season. He finished the year hitting.283/.314/.432 with 14 home runs, 71 RBI, and 51 doubles. He led the American League in doubles, at-bats and fielding percentage at third base.
On October 10, Machado opted to have reconstructive surgery performed on his knee to reduce the chance of future dislocations. The surgery would sideline him for 4–6 months, but he was still expected to return sometime around Opening Day.
On October 29, Machado won the Gold Glove Award at third base, the first by an Oriole third baseman since Brooks Robinson's 16-year run from 1960 to 1975. On November 8 of the same year, Machado won the AL Platinum Glove Award.
2014
On April 29, 2014, he was removed from the disabled list after knee surgery recovery and on May 1, he was greeted by a standing ovation from the hometown Baltimore fans prior to the first game of a doubleheader sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On June 1, 2014, Machado hit his 1st career grand slam in a 9–4 Orioles victory over the Houston Astros.On June 6, 2014, Machado was running to third base on a ground ball when he was tagged by Oakland Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson. This incident led to a bench-clearing brawl. On June 8, 2014, Machado struck Athletics catcher Derek Norris with his bat during the follow-through of his swing. Norris was taken out of the game as a result. In the 8th inning, Machado threw his bat in the direction of third base in response to two consecutive inside pitches thrown by Oakland reliever Fernando Abad. The umpires determined that the bat was meant for Abad, and both Abad and Machado were ejected from the game. The next day, Machado issued a formal apology to his teammates and Oakland. On June 10, Machado was fined and suspended five games for his actions. After losing an appeal, Machado began serving his suspension on June 30.
On August 11, Machado injured his right knee while batting in a home game against the New York Yankees. Although originally describing it as a sprain, ten days later the Orioles announced that the injury required surgery and that Machado was out for the season.
2015
Machado started the 2015 season healthy. By June 18, he had already tied his career high for home runs, which was 14 in 2013. He was named to the American League roster for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game and was selected as a participant for the 2015 Home Run Derby. Machado hit two home runs and stole two bases against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 1, becoming only the 16th player—and first Oriole—to have a multi-homer, multi-steal game since 1901. He became the seventh Oriole to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.Machado was the only major league player to appear in all 162 games in 2015. He batted.286 after collecting 181 hits, along with 35 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 20 steals. He led the American League in power-speed number. He made 21 errors, fifth-most of all players in the AL and second-most of all AL third basemen. He finished fourth in the American League in MVP voting and won his second career Rawlings Gold Glove for his outstanding defensive play at third. Machado set career-high numbers in games played, runs scored, home runs, RBIs, walks, steals, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging, and Wins Above Replacement.
2016
Machado hit safely in the first ten games of the season. On April 23, Machado extended his hit streak to 16 games, a new career-best. Machado's hit streak peaked at 16 games before ending. During the hot streak, Machado went 27-for-68 while slashing.397/.446/.779, while hitting six home runs and driving in 11. On April 28, he hit his second career grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs in a 10–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Machado was named AL Player of the Month for April, after going 33-for-96, hitting ten doubles, seven home runs, driving in 17 runs, while slugging.667 with a.394 on-base percentage.Machado set a new career-high for RBIs on May 8 against the A's, when he hit two home runs while driving in six in an 11–3 victory.
On June 7, Machado charged the mound against Kansas City Royals' pitcher Yordano Ventura, punching Ventura in the face and igniting a benches-clearing brawl. Machado charged the mound after Ventura hit Machado with a first-pitch, 99-mph fastball in the back. Both players were ejected. On June 9, Machado received a four-game suspension for the incident, which he was initially going to appeal, in the end deciding not to. The suspension was served June 19–22, 2016. In his first game back, Machado went 2-for-4 and hit a home run.
Machado slashed.318/.375/.569 with a.944 OPS, 19 home runs, and 53 RBIs before the All-Star break. He collected 109 hits and was named to his third career All-Star game and his first ASG start. Manny went 0-for-3 in the ASG.
He was the second player in MLB history to hit a home run in each of the first three innings of a game in a 10-2 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on August 7. The feat was previously accomplished by the White Sox's Carl Reynolds in a 15-4 win which was the nightcap of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on July 2, 1930. Machado was actually the first to hit all three that cleared the fence; two of Reynolds' were inside the park. The three homers within the first three innings of a contest were achieved for the first time since the Seattle Mariners' Mike Cameron did it in the same ballpark in a 15-4 win on May 2, 2002. Machado was also the ninth player to homer in three consecutive innings at any point during a match and the first Oriole to hit three in a game since Chris Davis in a 9-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 20, 2014.
On August 26, Machado hit his 30th and 31st home runs of the season, becoming the third Oriole on the year to hit 30 home runs. The three became the first trio of Orioles to hit 30+ homers in a single season. It was also Machado's tenth homer of the month, making him, Trumbo, and Davis the first trio of Orioles with 10 or more home runs in a month. On August 30, Machado hit his 100th career home run in a 5–3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit the homer in his 578th game, making him the third-fastest Oriole to hit 100 homers. He also became the youngest Oriole to hit his 100th home run.
Machado hit his MLB-leading third grand slam of the season on September 6 in an 11–2 win over the Rays. With the homer, he set a new career-high in the RBI column, surpassing his 86 from the previous season. It was also his 102nd career homer, tying him with teammate J. J. Hardy for 25th on the all-time Orioles home run list. He became the youngest Oriole ever to have three grand slams in the same season. He also tied the MLB record for most grand slams in a season at age 24 or younger. Manny had five RBIs in the game and joined the likes of Miguel Tejada and Jim Gentile as the only Orioles players with four five-RBI games in the same season. On September 18, Machado surpassed his previous season-high in home runs, hitting his 36th, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Machado ended his regular season having played in 157 games, slashing.294/.343/.533 while hitting a career-high 37 home runs and driving in a career-high 96 runs. He recorded career highs in runs scored, strikeouts, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.