Table of Content
- Padres' Manny Machado: Solo shot in loss
- Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres are the new kids in the NL West
- Early 2023 Rankings: Third Base
- All-MLB team: Ohtani, Judge, four Astros make cut
- Manny Machado hits walk-off home run to propel Padres over Giants
- WATCH: Manny Machado Crushes 1st Inning Home Run Off Clayton Kershaw
The San Diego Padres may be a legitimate contender with some of the biggest names in the sport on the payroll, but they had some truly bleak baseball on the docket for most of the last decade. One player who was there through all the trials and tribulations was slugger Wil Myers. Went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and a stolen base in a 5-4 loss Thursday against St. Louis.
The left-hander finished 17-7 with an NL-best 2.16 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 175 innings in 2022, finishing third in NL Cy Young voting while holding opposing hitters to a stingy .199 batting average. Ian Happ assembled the best season of his career in 2022, posting a 119 OPS+ with 42 doubles, 17 home runs, 72 RBI and 72 runs scored while also winning Gold glove honors during a 4.4-WAR season. A two-time All-Star since returning from a three-year stint in Japan in 2018, Mikolas does not have the same earning potential as some of the other top arms in this class because of his age, but there's no ignoring his productivity. He finished with a 3.29 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while setting career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched (202.1) last season, and he could be a candidate for a high-AAV, short-term deal. On January 13, Machado and the Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $11.5 million deal for the 2017 season.
Padres' Manny Machado: Solo shot in loss
The success of Manny Machado is the result of a calculated gamble that the Padres took on him nearly four years ago. In February 2019, the Padres signed Machado to a 10-year deal worth $300 million, making it the largest contract in baseball at the time. Myers hit 134 home runs in eight seasons with San Diego. Highlights of his Padres tenure include an All-Star nod in 2016, launching 58 home runs in 2016 and 2017, and playing a part in San Diego's climb back to relevancy. The last few years, however, haven't ranked among his most productive ever.
While this team clearly not ready for contention, the idea of playing every day in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball could be what Myers needs to get his career back on track. San Diego Padres' Juan Soto gestures after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in San Diego. San Diego Padres' Juan Soto, right, celebrates with Josh Bell after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in San Diego. Since he debuted as a 19-year-old in 2016, he'll reach free agency after his age-26 season, making him a far better target for a long-term deal than any other starting pitcher on this list. Alvarado was a key cog in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen in 2022, posting a 3.18 ERA and a career-high 14.3 K/9 with two saves and 22 holds in 59 appearances.
Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres are the new kids in the NL West
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. Unless the Chicago White Sox unexpectedly decline a $14 million club option on Tim Anderson, Rosario will be the top shortstop on the market next offseason.
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.
Early 2023 Rankings: Third Base
"We definitely broke that ice today offensively, defensively," Machado said. "Our staff as well. You know, we had a little hiccup in the ninth, but overall I think it was a good, productive day for us." The announced attendance at Coors Field on Sunday was 40,508 to bring the Rockies’ 2022 total to 2,597,428 for the home schedule.
Given his age, performance and the rising cost of quality pitching, a $200 million contract should be well within reach. If Stanek can come close to replicating his 2022 numbers, he'll be one of the top relievers on the market next winter. The hard-throwing right-hander posted a 1.15 ERA and 10.2 K/9 with 17 holds in 59 appearances, and while his walk rate (5.1 BB/9) was a bit high, he has proved himself a reliable setup man the last two years in Houston. Jack Vita is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation, and host of the Jack Vita Show, a popular sports podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever podcasts are found. Jack is a graduate of Valparaiso University.
All-MLB team: Ohtani, Judge, four Astros make cut
The 30-year-old righty also continued his streak of multi-hit performances following hitless games, which he has now accomplished in seven straight instances. Machado is slated to face starter Zack Wheeler in a must-win Game 5 -- he is 2-for-11 with two singles against Wheeler in his career. The 2018 AL Cy Young winner, Snell has dealt with some ups and downs in the years since, but he was rock-solid in 2022 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and an eye-popping 171 strikeouts in 128 innings. His inability to pitch deep into games has become less of a concern, as the way starting pitchers are handled has evolved over the years, and his pure stuff stacks up to any pitcher in this class. Bader was a 3.9-WAR player in 2021 when he posted a 114 OPS+ with 21 doubles and 16 home runs while also taking home Gold Glove honors in center field, but he wasn't as productive at the plate in 2022. There is no question he is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, but his career 97 OPS+ leaves a lot to be desired, and his performance at the plate in 2023 will dictate his earning power.
"You pick up your teammates," Melvin said. "Hader’s going to close plenty of games for us. Some things are kind of meant to be. We come back and pick him up. That’s what good teammates do." Hader blew the save in his first opportunity with the Padres, allowing three runs as the Giants tied it at 4 in the ninth.
He should be able to exceed the five-year, $75 million deal that Andrew Benintendi signed with the Chicago White Sox if he puts together another season like the one he had in 2022. Machado homered off former teammate Clayton Kershaw on a 2-1 count with two outs and the bases empty. Machado played for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, where he was nicknamed "El Ministro de la Defensa" for his defense. He was named the most valuable player in the first round's Pool C, in which he batted .357.
Went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 5-2 win over the White Sox. Right-hander Joe Musgrove held the Giants to one run and six hits in seven innings while striking out four and walking none. Profar, the left fielder, made a nice diving catch on Longoria's fly ball to save multiple runs. Hader faced seven batters and got just two outs on 37 pitches before making way for Tim Hill (3-0), who struck out Joc Pederson. The Padres, whose offense looked miserable in two straight shutouts, had been 1-5 since acquiring Soto and Josh Bell from Washington.
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