Manny Machado, the third baseman for the San Diego Padres, has been on fire with his bat and glove in the second half of the season after taking a break from playing in the All-Star Game. With any luck, it will be sufficient to be considered for the 2025 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Machado is putting on an impressive show.
Today’s baseball places less emphasis on batting for average. However, Machado has been playing well ever since the second half began. He has three home runs and fifteen RBIs while batting.388 (21–54). Machado has helped teams win by converting pitchers’ errors into runs.
Reducing his strikeout rate has contributed to his increased impact at the plate. It is currently at 17%, the lowest level since 2020 in his career. Machado is causing damage by boosting his hard-hit percentage (53%) when making strong contact, demonstrating that he is not being duped by offspeed pitches.
His on-base percentage has increased by 40 points as a result of being more aggressive early in the count, solidifying his place among baseball’s top power hitters. It enabled him to defeat Eugenio Suarez for a starting spot at the All-Star Game.
Machado is delivering hits. 302 with 71 RBIs and 20 HRs. In terms of hits, home runs, RBIs, and batting average, he leads the squad. Throughout his major league career, the seven-time All-Star has effectively managed the strike zone, but in 2025, his plate discipline has been at an all-time high.
Machado has been plagued by defensive lapses.
Every baseball player goes through phases of poor defensive play, and Machado is going through one right now in 2025. With 14 fielding errors, he leads the major leagues.
According to some, Machado’s arm strength is deteriorating, but the evidence refutes these assertions. He has the strongest arm strength since 2022 (86.4 MPH) at 86.1 MPH. Machado enjoys deceiving batters into believing they have an opportunity to leg out an infield hit before catching them by a step at first base with a laser.
Even though Machado’s range may not be as great as it once was, Padres pitchers still trust his glove. He has one of the highest baseball IQs and instincts in the game today. In order to maintain their aggressiveness on the mound, he sets himself to muster ample range.
When Machado allows his baseball instincts to take over and make all the plays, he performs at his peak.
Machado’s significance to San Diego
Petco Park was constructed by Tony Gwynn, but Machado made it enjoyable to support the Friars once more.
From being baseball’s bad boy, he has developed into a real team leader. After startling the baseball world by signing with the San Diego before the 2019 season, Machado has guided the Padres to three postseason appearances (2020, 2022, and 2024). The Friars are now thought to as consistent postseason challengers.
By turning the Gaslamp Quarter building from a must-see sight when visiting America’s Finest City into one of the most sought-after major league tickets, Machado has completely changed the franchise. On most evenings, the mood is carnivalesque.
The overwhelming favorite to win consecutive NL MVPs is Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but guys like Machado are putting themselves forward.
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