Padres News: Manny Machado Admits New Rules are Affecting His Play

Whenever anybody gets rewarded a multi-year contract of any sum, the hope is that they will continue to improve as that deal pays them for the agreed amount of time. That is definitely one of the biggest negotiating points that players use in conversations with the front office.

However, there are special cases where a player is so good and already in their prime that a franchise merely asks that they continue the level of play they've showcased while they surround that player with better talent.

Well, Manny Machado is in this exact position with the San Diego Padres right now but his start to the 2023 season has not been close to the MVP production he showcased last year. The Friars sit at 6-5 on the year and their batting power has not been what it was hyped up to be over the offseason.

Manny Machado very clearly called time right before the clock violation. Yet the umpire still called him out for the violation.

Again. Accountability for umpires please!

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— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) April 4, 2023

The 30-year-old superstar only has one home run recorded so far and has seen a number of strikeouts during his trips to the plate.

When catching up with The San Diego-Union Tribune after the team's 5-0 loss to the New York Mets, Machado revealed that all the new rules and changes to the game are definitely playing role in his early production being down.

"Things are not just flowing right now,” Machado said. “There are a lot of new things going on right now with the pitch clock and speeding up the game a little bit. So I think that’s something that I’ve been having to make an adjustment on.”

(Via San Diego-Union Tribune)

We obviously remember when he famously got ejected after arguing with an umpire that gave him a violation despite him clearly asking for a timeout.

It's clear that the pitch clock paves way for new mental tactics for a player like Machado and he also spoke on why it's been so difficult to adjust.

"You get into at-bats, you can’t think about what you’re going to do," said Machado. "Once you step in the box, like, whatever you thought about two seconds ago is going to go out the window. You’ve got adrenaline, you’ve got fans, you’ve got maybe runners on first and second, runners on second and third, whatever the situation might be. You’re gonna forget what the hell you just thought about."

(Via San Diego-Union Tribune)

Padres fans should not be too worried though. Machado is among the league's best at what he does and he was rewarded the big bucks for a reason, he will adapt soon.