Manny Machado shines again with early play of the year candidate

Gather around, everyone. We already have a surefire candidate for defensive play of the year, and it comes from the always sensational Manny Machado.

The all-star third baseman rang in the new season with an absolute gem during the Orioles dramatic 3-2 win against the Blue Jays on Monday. With the game still tied in the 11th inning, Machado dove to his left to rob Devon Travis of a sure double, before making an incredible throw from his knee to complete the out.

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The play drew a standing ovation from the fans in attendance, and had fans at home buzzing on social media.

With some mighty impressive accuracy, we might add. And while in some discomfort after rolling over on his left wrist.

We’ve almost become used to seeing one of Machado’s plays among the daily highlight reels. The 24-year-old superstar has already established himself as one of the finest defensive players in the game today. He’s even drawn comparison to former Orioles great Brooks Robinson, which puts him in elite company on a much larger scale.

And sometimes it feels like he’s only getting better because he continually raises the bar with his effort.

Monday’s gem wasn’t just a great play though. It was a key play in Baltimore’s win. Had Travis reached base, the Blue Jays would have had a golden opportunity to grab the lead. Instead, they were walking off the field a half-inning later when MLB’s 2016 home run champion Mark Trumbo mashed the first walk-off homer of the 2017 season.

We can’t imagine a more dramatic or thrilling way to open the season, but Orioles fans hope it’s just the beginning of another special season.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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