Jonatan Machado Stats & Scouting Report

AB	458
AVG	.258
OBP	.304
SLG	.33
HR	2

Full name Jonatan Machado
Born 01/21/1999 in Havana, Cuba
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 155 / Bats: L / Throws: L

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Cardinals made a large incursion into the international market in 2016-17, spending more than $20 million between their signing bonuses and overage tax payments. Machado was a marquee signing, reeling in $2.35 million in what was the largest international bonus the Cardinals had ever given out at the time. Machado struggled to assimilate early in his first year in the U.S. in 2017 but eventually came into his own on the field. He increasingly recognized changeups--which he rarely saw in Cuba--and before long was barreling everything en route to a .323 average in the Gulf Cast League. Machado is a gifted natural hitter on par with any in the system. He is aggressive with his contact-oriented stroke but has excellent strike-zone awareness and rarely swings and misses. He recognizes all types of pitches and drives them gap-to-gap, and he enhances his offensive game with plus-plus speed. He projects as primarily a line-drive hitter, but has the natural ability to run into a few home runs as he gets stronger. Machado is a bat-first player, but he plays a solid-average center field and moves into the gaps well. He is ticketed for Rookie-level Johnson City in 2018, and will move as quickly as his bat takes him.
As the Cardinals geared up for a record spending spree on international talent, one of the youngest and littlest players they intended to sign was also one of the hardest to scout and set to receive one of the highest bonuses they have ever offered. Machado (whose first name is sometimes spelled "Jonatan") received a $2.35 million deal from the Cardinals, the largest international bonus in club history. Machado's bonus alone eclipsed the Cardinals' cap, something they knew in 2016-17 they'd blown past--by a lot. Machado is a contact-oriented hitter who rarely struck out and showed a keen ability to barrel all kinds of pitches. For Havana in Cuba's 15-and-under league, Machado hit .336/.387/.451 and had as many steals (five) as strikeouts (five). He's a fleet-footed runner and that gives him excellent range in center. While he's deft enough to drop a bunt for a hit, he also has ambush power. He's described as a prototypical leadoff-type with potential for gap-to-gap power and 70 speed to invent doubles, plus he can handle a premium position. He'll get a run in those roles in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2017.

Minor League Top Prospects

Machado was the leadoff hitter on Cuba's 15U World Cup team in Mexico in 2014. After he left Cuba, the Cardinals signed him in 2016 for a $2.35 million bonus. He made his U.S. debut in the GCL this year and showed a good combination of speed, defense and contact skills. Machado has excellent bat control. He has good plate coverage and, despite an arm-bar swing, he seldom swings and misses. He is small and can occasionally sneak a ball out to his pull side, but his approach is geared to use the middle of the field and go the opposite way with mostly line drives and balls on the ground. H Machado is a potential table-setter at the top of the lineup with his ability to put the ball in play and use his plus-plus speed. He's also an instinctive defender in center field. He reads the ball well off the bat, has good range and takes sharp routes to the ball, though his arm is below-average.