Welcome to San Diego
Manny Machado was born on July 6th, 1992 in Hialeah, Florida. He was raised by his mother, grandfather, and uncle and began playing baseball at a young age. He committed to attend Florida International University and in 2010, he was selected 3rd overall in the MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
After spending some time in the Minor Leagues, he was an immediate all-star and was in the 2012 Futures Game. He was promoted to the Major Leagues in August 2012. In his second game, he hit the first and second home runs of his young career. In his rookie campaign, Machado hit .262 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, and 26 RBI.
In his second season, Machado hit .283 with 14 home runs, 71 RBI, and an incredible 51 doubles. That season was ultimately cut short due to a knee injury. His third season ended the same way, which led many people to question if Machado would just be another injury-plagued young player. In 2016, Machado broke out as he hit .294 with a career-high of 37 home runs and 96 RBI. He became a legitimate star and hasn’t looked back.
After a 2018 season in which he was traded to the Dodgers, Machado stated he wasn’t a “Johnny Hustle” after not hustling in the World Series, and he became a free agent. In the end, he signed with the San Diego Padres for 10 years/$300 million. Only time will tell if he is worth the money, but it will certainly be an interesting ride.
By Steve Farace
cinesportstalk.com | @CineSportsTalk