Manny Machado just notched his 2,000th career hit. He is well on his way to Cooperstown.

Manny Machado first appeared in the big leagues on August 9, 2012, just days after turning 20 years old. He went on to a scorching start to his career in six and a half seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, before being briefly traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for their run to a National League pennant in 2018. He then signed what was briefly the largest free agent deal in North American sports history with the San Diego Padres ahead of 2019, for a whopping 10 years and $300 million.

Roughly 13 years since his debut, through parts of 14 MLB seasons and being a franchise cornerstone for two different teams on two different coasts, Machado has cleared a major landmark in MLB history.

Getting 2,000 hits puts you squarely on the map with a path towards Cooperstown. No, it is not the immortal mark of 3,000 (which he could reach during his current contract with at least 125 hits each year). Still, 2,000 puts you in the conversation as one of the best hitters ever.

While it doesn’t have the same gravitas as 3,000 hits, which basically is an auto-ticket to the Hall of Fame unless you are marred in steroid controversy (Machado isn’t), 2,000 is an important box to check on the resume.

Only 297 players in MLB history have reached that number. 139 of them are in the Hall of Fame. Basically, that means as of now, with some crude math involved, Machado has a 50-50 shot at making the Hall of Fame if he doesn’t accumulate any more stats.

Of 139 players with 2,000 hits in the Hall of Fame, 47 of them have a lower career WAR than Machado.

According to Baseball Reference’s Hall of Fame register, the average Hall of Fame hitter has 2,329 career hits. Machado is two Machado-like seasons away from reaching that mark.

Machado just only turned 33 years old. He is under contract with the Padres for eight more seasons after this.

His bat will likely age well, even if he can’t finish out his Padres career at third base. He stays healthy and has a smooth swing.

Let’s not forget, he also has a decent shot at 500 homers. As of now, he has 355 career home runs. Let’s say he ends this season with 10 more homers to make it 365. He would need to average 17 home runs through the end of his contract to reach 500.

If he somehow reaches 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, there is simply no debate. He is a Hall of Famer. End of discussion. Now with 2,000 hits under his belt, it’s getting harder and harder to avoid his Hall of Fame candidacy.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.