Manny Machado Moving Back To Third Base Is FANTASTIC News For The Padres And Terrible News For The Rest Of Baseball
https://twitter.com/Padres/status/1098996625274417152
https://twitter.com/Padres/status/1098751350215569409
MLB.com - Manny Machado is a two-time Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman and one of the most valuable defensive players of the past decade. After a year at shortstop, he's headed back to the hot corner in San Diego.
29 other MLB teams just shit their pants in fear when they heard that Manny Machado was returning to the hot corner. After one below average year at shortstop for the Orioles and Dodgers, Machado officially said he was moving back to third baseman for the Padres. It's unreal how much better he is at third than he is at his natural position of short. Back in 2012 he was thrown into the Orioles starting lineup as a third baseman after only three (3) games at third in the minors. Ever since then all he's ever done was become arguably the best fielding third baseman in some time. You can argue Nolan Arrenado, and I can be okay with that, but when you've watched Manny as much as I have, I truly believe he's the best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFL5O0zPnxs
As the MLB.com article states above, his defensive runs saved at third is an insane 84, in his short time at shortstop he was -11. Not great. He made some AMAZING plays at third, going deep into the hole, fading into foul territory, getting to balls that other shortstops wouldn't even dream about getting to. At short he just didn't display that same playmaking ability, no one knows why. He's won two Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove for his work at third. It was wild to watch him make some throws that were frozen ropes from foul ground were Chris Davis didn't have to move his glove an inch. He did have a few errors early on where he just got bored with the position and was trying to throw in different ways, that is how good he was, he was bored playing third base.
He went into last season as the starting shortstop for the Orioles and everyone knew that he was doing it to market himself. A power hitting shortstop with 40 HR potential and could potentially play Gold Glove defense sounds much more attractive than a third baseman with that same skillset. He was doing what was best for himself and the long run. He did play some third when he got to the Dodgers when Justin Turner got hurt, but he was pretty hellbent on playing short. The Padres GM explained that IF the Padres were going to get involved with Machado, it would mean he was going to be at third, something that obviously didn't bother him.
Machado moving over back to third is reminiscent to when he came up with the Orioles. He wanted to play short, but the Orioles had a shortstop already, Gold Glover, J.J. Hardy. Machado was told that the TEAM was in a better position with Hardy at short, so Machado was fine with it. In San Diego they have the #2 prospect in all of baseball waiting in the wings to play shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado has said that Tatis Jr reminds him of a younger version of himself and that should terrify other teams. Imagine two Manny Machado's on the left side of the infield for possibly the next 10 years. Get ready to see some eyeopening plays by Machado at third.
PS. If Jon Heyman says Machado may be the best third baseman ever, it has to be true, right?
https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1098753833856131077