Has stardom arrived for Manny Machado?

Now just a couple of weeks away from his 23rd birthday, is stardom also close by for Orioles third baseman Manny Machado?

This year he's shown both more power and patience at the plate, producing the best numbers of his career and he appears on his way to a big season.

Machado's bat has really heated up this month. In 18 games, he is batting .347, slugging .611 and with an OPS of 1.009. He has six homers in 72 at-bats in June and has hit eight homers in his last 19 games.ma

He is also drawing walks at a greater rate. He needed to improve here and has, going from a 5.6 walk rate in 2014 to 8.5 this year. Machado is doing a great job batting leadoff for the Orioles right now, but certainly batting in the middle of the order is in his future at some point.

When he was named the latest American League Player of the Week on Monday, he talked about thriving in the leadoff spot.

"It is a win-win," he said. "You get more at-bats, you get to see more pitches and I think it has helped me out. Becoming a hitter, learning how to hit, learning situations and learning the game. It's been fun hitting leadoff."

In 67 games on the year he is batting .292 with 12 doubles, a triple, 14 homers, 34 RBIs and a .510 slugging percentage.

Machado has played every day on healthy knees as well this year and that peace of mind seems to be big for him.

"Just playing is a blessing. Being here, being healthy and playing the game we love every day. It is something we can't take for granted. Represent the uniform you have across your chest, represent your city and teammates," Machado said.

In four years in the majors, Machado's on-base percentage has improved every year, going from .294 in 2012 to .314, then .324 and this year to .351.

"I wouldn't say I'm more patient," Machado said. "I've learned the game a little bit. When they are going to pitch to you, when they are not. What they are trying to do with you. You kind of learn as you go, what the pitchers are trying to do with me and what my job is at the same time. I've learned a lot about the game and about hitting."

The results certainly show that as his OPS has also increased every year from .739 in 2012 to .746 then to .755 and this year to .861.

Machado hit a career-high 14 homers for the Orioles in 667 at-bats in 2013. He has matched that with 14 homers this year in 257 at-bats. In 2012, between Double-A Bowie and Baltimore he hit 18 homers (a professional high), but that was in 593 at-bats.

In 2013 he averaged a homer every 47.6 at-bats. In his big league career before this year that average was one every 36 at bats. This year he has homered every 18.4 at-bats.

He has also shown an equal ability to do damage versus right-handed pitching, with an OPS of .856 and left-handers at .879.

When a team drafts a player with the third pick in the draft they hope to get a star talent. That doesn't always happen. With Machado, it may now be happening right before our eyes nightly.

Night of news at Bowie: Well I went to Double-A Bowie last night to cover Jonathan Schoop's first rehab game as he works his way back to the Orioles. But the news started coming at me faster than a Zach Britton sinker. Dylan Bundy provided an update on his latest MRI and Matt Hobgood went back on the DL. Schoop provided postgame quotes on his rehab outing. And, oh yes, the Baysox produced a stirring comeback win. I covered all of that here last night in this story.

O's have lost back-to-back games: Meanwhile on the field last night, it was a second straight frustrating loss for the Orioles. They have followed a stretch where they won nine of 10 with consecutive one-run losses to the Phillies and Blue Jays.

Mike Wright's outing of just 1 1/3 innings was the shortest by an Orioles starting pitcher this year and the shortest since Bud Norris went 2 1/3 and gave up nine runs on April 21 - that was also at Toronto.

The Orioles are 0-4 at Rogers Centre this year and three of those losses have come by a combined four runs. They are 3-7 against Toronto on the season. It certainly puts some pressure on Kevin Gausman today as he makes his first big league appearance since May 6.

Does Gausman get it done today against this hot-hitting team?