Manny Machado’s ceiling excessive with Padres

PEORIA, Ariz. — Regardless of how Manny Machado’s contract saga ended, he was at all times headed for a significant place in baseball historical past as the most effective third basemen of his era.

However now that he has agreed to an 11-year extension that can hold him in San Diego by 2033? Machado has a singular alternative to etch himself in Padres lore as one of many franchise’s all-time greats, with the potential to achieve unprecedented heights in San Diego.

The deal shouldn’t be remaining and hasn’t but been introduced by the membership. However there’s no telling what Machado would possibly be capable of accomplish in San Diego after he places pen to paper on that contract.

Right here’s a have a look at some significant information and feats Machado might be destined for over the following decade and alter:

1. Corridor of Fame-bound?
Loads of Corridor of Famers have known as San Diego house. Ozzie Smith and Roberto Alomar started their careers with the Padres. Fred McGriff and Rickey Henderson are amongst those that made significant stops in San Diego. Greg Maddux and Willie McCovey spent a part of the twilight of their careers there.

Machado seems destined to turn out to be the fourth. At 30, he has amassed 52 WAR, seemingly placing him on the precipice of a Corridor of Fame profession — with, now, 11 years left on his contract.

Machado, in fact, was an Oriole for his first seven seasons. However Sunday’s information put to relaxation any query over which hat Machado would select. As he walked to the Padres’ clubhouse on Sunday, smiling wider than typical, Machado had this to say:

“We’re excited to be right here for the remainder of our careers — and have this hat go into the Corridor of Fame.”

2. Padres’ house run king
Some aspirations on this listing may appear lofty. This one appears like a little bit of a formality. With Machado’s post-2023 opt-out not looming, he appears destined to turn out to be the Padres’ all-time house run chief in comparatively quick order.

Machado’s 108 house runs with San Diego are 55 shy of Nate Colbert‘s long-standing file. Colbert — who, a long time earlier than Machado’s arrival, grew to become the franchise’s first true star participant — died in January. He launched 163 house runs throughout his six-year Padres tenure from 1969-74, the primary six years of the membership’s existence.

May Machado break that file in a six-year span himself? He’d must common solely 28 homers over the following two seasons — a quantity he has reached in all three of his full seasons with the Padres.

3. 500 homers and three,000 hits
Sitting on 283 profession house runs and 1,597 hits, Machado seems inside hanging distance of baseball’s two most storied hitting milestones.

Final June, Machado grew to become simply the seventeenth participant to achieve the midway level of each milestones earlier than his thirtieth birthday. Among the many first 16, 12 are Corridor of Famers, two stay on the poll (Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones) and two seem like Corridor no-doubters (Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols).

Over the length of his contract, Machado would wish to common 19.7 homers and 127.5 hits to achieve these two marks — actually real looking, even when he endures a decline in his late 30s.

In franchise historical past, solely Gwynn and Henderson have recorded their 3,000th profession hits whereas donning Padres colours. As for house run No. 500? Machado could be the primary.

4. A primary World Collection
Machado has completed an terrible lot in his profession, however he stays searching for that elusive first World Collection championship. The Padres, their title drought now at 54 years, are searching for the exact same factor.

They’ve by no means had a greater shot at sustained success than they do proper now. The staff’s 1984 and ’98 pennants have been one-offs, sandwiched by mediocre seasons. The mid-2000s by no means materialized into greater than two first-round exits and Sport 163 heartbreak.

These Padres are completely different. With Machado because the centerpiece, San Diego has constructed a roster stuffed with superstars — a roster that simply reached its first NLCS in 24 years, then added Xander Bogaerts and can welcome again Fernando Tatis Jr..

There will probably be no supplanting Gwynn because the franchise’s most beloved and storied participant. But when Machado may also help ship the town its first championship, he’d earn himself a cushty place alongside Gwynn in Padres lore.