Being Manny Machado means you don’t have to always give 100 percent.
He’s so skilled he can sometimes play at a high level without being fully engaged. He’s got so much of what the Dominican players call flow that other times it just looks like he’s not fully engaged. It’s who he is and probably a big part of why he is so productive. He just plays. He also plays virtually every game, and he believes conservation is a part of why he can do so.
But being Manny Machado in 2020, playing for new manager Jayce Tingler and first base coach Wayne Kirby, means you better look like you’re giving 100 percent at least a good percentage of the game.