Padres’ Manny Machado – Positives, Negatives, and Outlook
Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Taking a look at San Diego Padres’ right-handed hitter Manny Machado
2020 might have been Manny Machado’s best season in his nine-year career so far. He played in all 60 games and posted a .304 batting average with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs.
It was Machado’s first time posting a .300 average in his career. Machado’s stellar season saw him place third in the MVP voting, just one spot ahead of teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado also won his first Silver Slugger award.
Manny Machado was a huge reason why the Padres ended a 14-year playoff drought. He had some memorable home runs along the way, most notably against the Texas Rangers.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Machado stepped to the plate with the bases juiced and hit a walk-off grand slam which was the padre’s third consecutive game with a grand slam, earning them the nickname of “Slam Diego.” Machado and the Padres will look to carry over last year’s success into 2021 and make a run at a World Series.
🚨 WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM FOR MANNY MACHADO 🚨
(via @mlb)pic.twitter.com/SQkrlOsBj3
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 20, 2020
Positives
Manny Machado is still young, entering his age 28 season. He is also very experienced, with him entering his tenth MLB campaign. This type of experience is important for a young Padres squad. Machado looked more comfortable with the Friars last year after a relatively down first season. Last season he proved that he is still one of the game’s best players. He finished third in RBIs with 47, third in home runs with 16, fourth in hits with 68, seventh in runs scored with 44, and fourth in with 130 total bases.
Machado proved once again how durable he is, playing in every game last season. Besides his rookie season, where he played in 51 games after being called up in August and in 2014, where he played in 82 after hurting his knee, Machado has played in at least 155 games every season. Machado looks to keep his success going as he gears up for the 2021 season.
Negatives
Even though he batted over .300 for the first time, Machado struggles with his average (for a superstar) being a career .280 hitter. Machado tends to slow down later in the season, recording a career .266 average in the second half. He is also a career .246 hitter in the months of September and October. That might be worrisome for Padre fans, especially since the Padres expect to be playing meaningful games during those months.
Attitude issues of the past seem to be just that as Machado has been a saint in San Diego.
Outlook
Machado will be the starting third baseman for the Padres in 2021 and will most likely be the team’s number three-hitter. If healthy, expect Machado to post a .280-plus batting average with 30-plus home runs and 85 plus RBIs.
The third baseman is surrounded by a talented roster, most notably the game’s best young player in Fernando Tatis Jr. Expect Tatis to push Machado to be great. You can also expect Machado and the Padres to play meaningful baseball in October. Manny Machado will be one of the Friars’ best players in 2021. That is for sure.
My name is Joey Serrano. I am currently in my last year at at Arizona State University. I am majoring in sports journalism and I am a huge fan of the San Diego Padres. I can’t wait to give my readers some great baseball material.