Manny Machado: tremendous prospect for Baltimore Orioles
After spending another humiliating season in Major League Baseball, the Baltimore Orioles has a sense of either changing their entire outlook, by hiring new players or providing some required training to existing players. The team wants to make them capable
of competing with clubs like New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Besides increasing outlook of the existed players, the Orioles are now looking closely to prepare their Minor League players in advance.
They have started considering some of the best players at Minor League level for the future roster. The experts have already rated 19-year-old Dylan Bundy a top prospect for the coming years. Bundy was named as the best pitcher in 2011, but Orioles did not
provide him opportunity at the big league level.
The baseball experts have nominated another top prospect, who can be placed at number two for the Orioles. The 19-year-old shortstop Manny Machado has shown an excellent above-average performance at the high school level to enter him into the list of the
top prospects for the American League Eastern club. With his ability to show 60-70 power on the 20-80 scouting scale, Machado, who has two years experience at low-A and High-A level, has surprised entire the Baltimore team.
Many baseball experts have considered his strong arm, quick action, great range and his ability to steal 15-20 bases in full season as the most valuable aspects of this young hitter.
This past season, despite having a serious knee problem, which set him on rest for about two months, Machado entered in 38 low-A level games and dominated with his .379 wOBA. His performance forced the front office to promote him at high-A level. A decision
has been made in a hurry, which resulted in the downgrade of his performance to .313 wOBA, but it did not affect his top position in the prospects list. At less than 19-years-old before July, Machado was the youngest player in the league.
2011 season was not in favour of Machado, as he did not dominate at any level in the league, but he did not display any under-matched performances. He improved his strike-out rate from 14.7 to 18.5 percent and decreased his walk rate from 13.5 to 8.5 percent
this past season. Although not up to mark, but comparing his age with stats, his future greatness can easily be predicted. The Orioles might consider providing him another chance at the high-A level in 2012 season and then it will be his own effort to get
himself promoted into the double-A level.
As the Orioles have made some changes in their front office, there will now be plenty of chances for the upcoming players. The new management seems to generate a club, which can become a big threat to at least other American League Eastern divisional clubs,
including New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.
Keeping in view the talent and determination, Machado can be predicted as a future All-Star for the Baltimore Orioles, if not in recent years then at least in coming five to six years. Such a quality of player has not been seen in the Orioles’ camp since
the retirement of Cal Ripken Jr. However, Machado has to polish his skills to a higher level to justify his talent. The club also is in search of a player who can lead it to at least an AL divisional series.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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