Machado healthy, happy to be chasing history with Padres
PEORIA, Ariz. – Manny Machado is happy to say he is healthy for the first time in a while, which the San Diego Padres believe will mean the same good things it has in the past. And Machado is not shying away from the reality of the path he has ahead of him, one that might lead to immortality. “We all play for that,” he said recently. “We play to win, but I’m also putting myself in a good spot to be mentioned to possibly be a Hall of Famer.
I mean, it’s an honor to even get in that conversation. Putting up those numbers, seeing those numbers, they just keep creeping up.” Machado is at 1,900 career hits and is eight home runs away from 350 in his career. Just 297 major leaguers have ever had 2,000 hits. Just 77 have had 2,000 hits and 350 homers. He turns 33 in July and has eight years remaining on his contract.
It is likely he has time to blow past 2,500 and 400 (29 players), and it is not unfathomable he could reach 2,750 and 450 (16 players). With some good fortune, he could fend off Father Time long enough to reach 3,000 and 500 (seven players). “Yeah,” he said with obvious appreciation of the exclusivity of the company he is on the precipice of keeping, “that list gets shorter.”
