RADIO
Manny Machado 2021 Outlook: Elite Machado Has Returned
4 years agoSan Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado had one of the best seasons of his career in 2020, a major bounce-back from 2019 when he slashed just .256/.334/.462 with a strikeout rate of 19.4% and a barrel rate of 8%. In 2020, he had a slash line of .304/.370/.580 and hit 16 home runs with 47 RBI and 44 runs. He lowered his strikeout rate to 14.6% and increased his barrel rate to 11%. Machado also demonstrated his patience and power with an OPS of .950, the highest of his career. This was well above his previous career-best clip of .905 from 2018, when he tied his career high with 37 home runs. The Padres were third in the majors in runs scored last year and Machado was a big reason why, hitting second or third in the order for the majority of the year. That positive trend should continue going into 2021 as Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are one of the most formidable batting duos in the league. Machado is a great target at the end of the second round, especially if you went with a pitcher in the first and need a hitter with first-round upside and a relatively safe floor. Machado is a career .280 hitter, so don't expect him to reach .300 yet again in 2021, but he'll be a steady and elite source of power throughout the year.
