Manny Machado EXPOSES MLB Rule Flaw! Infield Fly Rule Under Scrutiny - NPBHUB

Manny Machado EXPOSES MLB Rule Flaw! Infield Fly Rule Under Scrutiny

Manny Machado may have just delivered more than just a great defensive play. He might have forced Major League Baseball to revisit one of its oldest rules. During the San Diego Padres’s recent matchup against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Machado, the Padres’s third baseman, pulled off a brilliant move that simultaneously helped his team and exposed a potential flaw in the MLB’s infield fly rule. With the Reds leading three to one and a runner on first with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, Spencer Steer hit a popup to the left side of the infield. Machado appeared ready to make a routine catch. But then in a moment of pure baseball savvy, he intentionally let the ball drop. As the ball hit the ground, Machado immediately scooped it up and fired to second base, forcing out Ellie Dea Cruz, one of the fastest runners in the league. Just like that, the Padres’s erased a huge threat from the base pads. So, what’s the loophole here? According to MLB rules, the infield fly rule only applies when there are runners on first and second or when the bases are loaded with fewer than two outs. This rule exists specifically to prevent infielders from intentionally dropping an easy popup to turn a quick double or triple play. But in this scenario, with only a runner on first base, the rule didn’t apply. Machado shrewdly used this to his advantage. While the play didn’t result in two outs, removing the dangerous de la Cruz from the base paths was arguably far more valuable than simply catching the ball for one out. The play instantly went viral with MLB fans and analysts quick to praise Machado’s incredible awareness. Social media lit up with comments like, “Heads up play by Machado. That’s baseball IQ at its finest.” But yeah, MLB might need to patch that rule. This isn’t the first time a smart play has highlighted a gray area in the rule book, but Machado’s move on Saturday against the Reds was impactful enough that it could spark the next major change in MLB’s historic rule book.

Did Manny Machado just break baseball? During the Padres-Reds game, Machado pulled off an incredibly heads-up defensive play that exposed a potential loophole in MLB’s long-standing Infield Fly Rule. We break down the play, why the rule didn’t apply, and why fans and analysts are now calling for a change to the rulebook!

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