Machado hitting, but not for power: Orioles shortstop prospect Manny Machado has been a much better contact hitter for Double-A Bowie in May. Machado is batting .361 (13 for 36) in his last 10 games following a 3-for-4 performance Monday. Machado is batting .328 in May after batting just .241 in April. Unfortunately, Macahdo has no homers in 19 May games. He does have a .484 slugging percentage this month because of eight doubles and a triple, but he has just two homers through 42 games this year. (Updated 05/22/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
The scouts feel Machado will develop moderate home run power over time, but his home run power thus far has been disappointing. The good news is that Machado finally seems to be hitting consistently, which is great for his development. But he is still likely a few years away from making a Fantasy impact. People forget he is only 19 years old and still growing into his 6-3 frame. Machado remains more of a long-term Fantasy keeper. (Updated 05/22/2012).
03/23/2012 20:56 Spring primer: Baltimore Orioles
The long-suffering Baltimore Orioles enter the 2012 season with almost no hope of contention. But is the future finally looking brighter?
After all the pomp and circumstance that comes with being the third overall pick in the draft -- the Alex Rodriguez comparisons, the projected All-Star appearances -- Manny Machado got a rude awakening in his first professional season, showing that he's likely still a couple years from reaching the majors. Of course, that's kind of the norm for a 19-year-old, no matter how talented he is. It's not that Machado necessarily underachieved -- in fact, the game came almost too easily for him at first -- but he struggled once he moved up to high Class A Frederick in June, hitting .245 with a .692 OPS. He still has the power potential to become a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter, which is rare for a shortstop, and the Alex Rodriguez comparisons, though exaggerated, do say something about his abilities. Still, when the Orioles decided to extend starting shortstop J.J. Hardy's contract through 2014, they gave a pretty clear indication of Machado's timetable. He'll be an early-round pick in Fantasy someday, but he's far enough from the majors that he should go undrafted outside of long-term keeper leagues. (Updated 2/8/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
