Manny Machado: The Hitter We Knew He Could Be

There have been players that are drafted year after year and continue to disappoint us, but yet still draft them. We draft those players in hopes of owning that player when the breakout season finally happens. However, when that season happens, that particular player takes the spotlight in drafts the following year. This is what happened to Baltimore Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado.

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Machado struggled in his early seasons. Granted, he was only 19 years old when he joined the Orioles, but the hype was through the roof. The No. 3 pick in the 2010 draft was called up on Aug. 9, 2012. In his first 51 games, he hit seven home runs, 26 RBI and a .262 average.

The following season, he played in 156 games and hit 14 homers, 71 RBI and .283. His 2014 season was cut short while dealing with multiple knee injuries.

Entering the 2015 season, Manny Machado was fully healthy. He tied his career-high of 14 home runs on June 18. He was selected to his second All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby. He played in all 162 games, finishing with 35 home runs, 86 RBI, 20 stolen bases and a .286 average.

This was the season fantasy owners were hoping for from Manny Machado. He finished 13th among all players and second among third baseman on the Player Rater. As a 10th-round pick, Machado exceeded all expectations.

Of the 20 hitters with at least 30 home runs, Machado was one of two with at least 20 stolen bases. The other being Paul Goldschmidt.

Another value add to owning Machado is the possibility of him playing shortstop next season. He played six games at shortstop. With Ryan Flaherty and Jimmy Paredes playing third base last season, Machado could move J.J Hardy out of the role.