MannyMachado

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Here's a theory: Machado hasn't been as disappointing as perceived. Instead, expectations were unfairly elevated after his 2015 campaign. We saw a guy with power and speed, playing in a great park with a chance to get better. The truth is, Machado is a very good player who was aided by volume (averaging 702 plate appearances from 2015 through 2018) and Camden Yards, plus an outlier 2015 season with respect to steals. Last season's perceived dip was mostly the result of moving into a park that suppresses offense. Machado's underlying metrics were similar to previous campaigns, with a slight dip in hard-hit rate and an increase in strikeouts, both bolstering the detrimental park effects. With a year in San Diego under his belt, Machado's skills are likely to rebound, but unless the Padres pipe in humidity and bring the fences in, Petco Park will continue to hinder his production.