Mane Machado’s roof is high with the Padres

PEORIA, Ariz. – No matter how Manny Machado’s contract saga ended, he was always destined for a meaningful place in baseball history as one of the best third basemen of his generation.

But now that he’s agreed to an 11-year extension that would keep him in San Diego until 2033? Machado has the unique opportunity to etch himself into Padres lore as one of the franchise’s all-time greats, with the potential to reach unprecedented heights in San Diego.

The deal is not final and has not been announced by the club yet. But there is no telling what Machado might be able to accomplish in San Diego having put pen to paper that decade.

Here’s a look at some of the meaningful records and exploits Machado could be headed for over the next decade and change:

Machado looks destined to become the fourth. At 30, he’s accumulated 52 wars, seemingly putting him on the brink of a Hall of Fame career – with 11 years left on his contract.

Machado, of course, was Oriole in his first seven seasons. But Sunday’s news squashed any question of what hat Machado would choose. As he walked to the Padres club on Sunday, smiling wider than usual, Machado said:

“We’re excited to be here for the rest of our careers – and to induct this hat into the Hall of Fame.”

2. The King of the Padres
Some of the aspirations on this list may seem lofty. This seems a little formal. Machado’s retirement is no longer in sight after 2023, and he seems destined to become the Padres’ all-time home run leader in relatively short order.

Chad Machado’s 108 home runs for San Diego, nearly 55 runs short of Nate Colbert’s longtime record. Colbert — who, decades before Machado arrived, became the series’ first true star — passed away in January. He hit 163 home runs during the Padres’ six-year reign from 1969 to 1974, the first six years of the club’s existence.

Can Machado break this record in six years? He would need to average just 28 homers over the next two seasons – a number he reached in all three of his full seasons with the Padres.

3. 500 homers and 3,000 visits
Sitting with 283 career hits and 1,597 strikeouts, Machado appears within striking distance of some of baseball’s most iconic milestones.

Last June, Machado became the 17th player to reach the halfway mark on both milestones before his 30th birthday. Of the first 16, 12 were Hall of Famers, with two remaining on the ballot (Alex Rodriguez and Andrew Jones) and two appearing to be Hall of Famers (Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols).

During the term of his contract, Machado would need to average 19.7 homers and 127.5 hits to reach those two marks — that’s certainly realistic, even if he suffered a downturn in his late 30s.

In franchise history, only Gwen and Henderson recorded their 3,000th career hit while wearing the Padres’ colors. As for his 500th home run? Machado will be the first.

4. First world championship
Machado has accomplished a lot in his career, but he is still looking for the elusive first world championship. The Padres, now experiencing a 54-year drought for their title, are looking for the same.

They have never had a better chance of achieving continued success than they do now. The team’s pennants in 1984 and 98 were one-offs, confined to mediocre seasons. The mid-2000s epitomized nothing more than two first-round exits and Game 163 heartbreak.

These Padres are different. With Machado as the centerpiece, San Diego has built a roster full of stars—one that just made it to its first NLCS in 24 years, then added Xander Bogaerts and would welcome back Fernando Tatis Jr..

There will be no replacement for Gwynn as the most beloved and iconic player in the franchise. But if Machado can help deliver the city’s first championship, he will earn a comfortable spot alongside Gwen in Padres lore.