From prospect to face of a generation of Dominicans

A little less than two months ago, Manny Machado reached the age of 30. In the midst of the celebration, looking at his stats and what he was accomplishing as a major leaguer, it became easy to see the fact that his projection has him on the sure path to immortality, if health allows him to have a lasting career.

A player who is still young, with 1,568 hits, 275 home runs, a lifetime average of .282, as well as an OPS of .833 and an OPS+ of 126 in an 11-year career, has a great chance to do great things in the second half of his career.

However, to get to where he is now, Manny Machado has come a long way. He went from being an up-and-comer in baseball to establishing himself as one of MLB’s best shortstops before making the ultimate transition to third base. He was once considered one of the “dirtiest” players in the Major Leagues for “extracurricular” situations with Dustin Pedroia (Boston Red Sox) and Jesus Aguilar (Milwaukee Brewers).

He continued to grow and became one of the favorites of a country where his ancestors were born (Dominican Republic), he was the last to come out of a World Series and today, in 2022, he is undisputedly the leader of the San Diego Padres.

His position as one of the best shortstops in the Major Leagues cannot be disputed, while also, the economic gains that surround his figure and all that Machado says, are part of the day to day news of professional baseball.

All of this in the wake of Machado’s transformation from baseball’s promise to the veteran he is today. There remains doubt that the lights through which he was viewed by Dominican fans were made brighter by what he did in 2017 with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic. The nickname “Minister of Defense” was born on that occasion.

Many people outside of the Dominican Republic don’t know it, but Manny Machado even belongs to Toros del Este in LIDOM winter baseball.