Each year, baseball fields worldwide are filled with thousands of young, local phenoms looking to be the next Manny Machado. At the same time, pro scouts are tasked with scouring these same global sandlots to pick out the handful of potential standouts who may—or may not—excel at the next level.
And while predicting an athlete’s future performance is by no means an exact science, it’s often said that in order to be the best, talent alone is never enough. Experts can most likely agree on this: Work ethic and dedication are oftentimes the great separators between mid-level prospect and perennial All-Star.
Today, when it comes to who’s the most talented and genetically gifted player in baseball, Machado’s name is at or near the top of every baseball authority’s list. You can also throw in most dedicated athlete as well. Now in his 14th season, the San Diego Padres All-Star third-baseman’s fielding prowess is the stuff of legend—watching Machado throw a baseball across the infield can still make jaws drop and eyes pop.
And then there’s his offensive dominance. With 356 home runs to his credit, the 33-year-old is a well-rounded juggernaut, good enough to have become one of the game’s most respected players and earning him the kind of salary (in 2023, Machado signed an 11-year, $350 million contract) that has secured generational wealth.
As Machado prepared for the 2025 season—his seventh as a member of the Padres—he spent most of this offseason in the gym, under the watchful eye of super trainer Nick Soto, one of the most well-rounded athletic coaches in the world.
Soto’s approach could be labeled unconventional, but after witnessing his star client’s performance for more than a decade, it’s been proven effective. The trainer focuses on explosiveness, speed, and the kind of overall functional strength that helps his clients reach the top of their game.
Soto’s style doesn’t resemble the cookie-cutter approach deployed by most athletic trainers—he builds programs with a deep understanding of his client’s strengths, musculature, vulnerabilities, mental toughness, and an array of other factors that keep his elite athletes at the top of their game year in and year out. Machado is no exception.
“I’ve been training with Nick for a long time,” explains Machado. “His understanding of physiology and overall performance has been a big part of my development. Success on the field starts with what I’m doing in the gym, away from the bright lights.”
TK
Consistency Keeps Manny Machado at the Top of His Game
Machado’s workout regimen never changes. The moment the season ends, he and Soto can be found nearly every day at the University of Miami’s baseball training facility. It’s no secret that South Florida is home to some of the most elite baseball talent on the planet, a reality that surrounds Soto with the best of the best, forcing him to constantly up his game as both a trainer and as a leader in his field. Soto also serves as strength & conditioning coach for the Hurricanes baseball team, a five-time national championship program.
“It’s all about making someone as powerful and explosive as they can be,” he explains, “all while being able to move and coordinate at optimal angles and with optimal timing, and finally being resilient enough to handle the stress of the movement patterns so we can mitigate injuries as much as possible.”
In other words, Soto says, “I want to make athletes explosive, superior movers, who are resilient in body and mind.”
Machado was recently named a starter on the National League All Star team—it’s his seventh All-Star appearance. But at the same time his influence has extended beyond the baseball field. He and with his wife Yainee are the parents of 1-year-old son. At the same time Machado also became part-owner of Major League Soccer’s San Diego FC.
As he continues piling up Hall of Fame-like numbers, Machado understands that his off-season training is more important now than it’s ever been. And he’s showing no signs of slowing down. His career stats place him among the best active players in the game. However, Machado realizes that baseball is a team sport, and his main goal remains getting that elusive World Series ring.
“I’ve been able to do some great things in the game, but the goal is the ring,” Machado says. “That’s why I play—to win and to give the fans in San Diego what they deserve. That’s why I put in the work every day.”
Olympia President Dan Solomon has followed Machado’s baseball career from the beginning. “Manny is different. His raw talent speaks for itself, but what separates him is his intensity, his fire. He’s real. Not everyone understands his unique approach to the game, but he’s the ultimate teammate and his off-season workouts with Nick Soto are a big part of his success. When it’s all said and done, he’ll go down as one of the best to ever play the game.”
Soto studies Machado’s performance at various points during the season, trying to find ways to elevate his game.
“A funny fact is I’m not a big baseball fan at all,” confesses Soto, “I am a player fan, and I’m a fan of movement. So when I watch a game where my guys are playing I’m looking at movement patterns, [I’m looking at], do they look comfortable, quick, fast, explosive, tight? Are they kicking too far behind when they have to take off on a sprint? These are the things I notice. An athlete should be striving for physical improvement as the season progresses, we want them to be ready when the stakes are the highest.”
Be sure to tune in to the 2025 MLB All-Star game on July 15 (televised on FOX), and watch Machado along with the best in baseball.
To learn more about Nick Soto’s approach to training elite athlete athletes, visit the www.EliteUperformance.com
