After catching his breath from playing in the All-Star Game, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has taken off with his bat and glove in the second half of the season. Hopefully, it will be enough to join the conversation in contending for the 2025 National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Machado is putting on a hitting display
Batting for average is emphasized less in today’s baseball. But Machado has been putting on a hitting display since the second half started. He is batting .388 (21-54) with 3 HRs and 15 RBIs. Machado has turned
pitchers’ mistakes into runs for team victories.
Part of his newfound impact at the plate stems from cutting down his strikeout rate. Currently, it stands at 17%, which is the lowest rate in his career since 2020. Machado is not getting fooled by offspeed pitches; instead, he is doing damage by increasing his hard-hit rate (53%) when making solid contact.
Being more aggressive earlier in the count has raised his on-base percentage by 40 points to re-establish himself as one of the best power-hitters in baseball. It helped him to secure a starting assignment at the All-Star Game over Eugenio Suarez.
Machado is hitting .302 with 20 HRs and 71 RBIs. He leads the team in batting average, hits, home runs, and RBIs. The seven-time All-Star has done a good job of controlling the strike zone for his major league career, but his plate discipline has been off the charts in 2025.
Defensive lapses have plagued Machado
All baseball players experience stretches of defensive lapses, and Machado is currently battling through one of these periods in 2025. He leads the majors with 14 fielding errors.
Some have suggested Machado’s arm strength is declining, but the data does not support these claims. His arm strength (86.1 MPH) is the strongest since 2022 (86.4 MPH). Machado loves to trick hitters into thinking they have a chance to leg out an infield hit, only to throw a laser and get them by a step at first base.
Padres pitchers still have confidence in his glove, even though Machado’s range may not be like it once was. His baseball instincts and IQ are among the best in the sport today. He positions himself to muster enough range that allows them to remain aggressive on the mound.
Machado is at his best when he lets his baseball instincts take over to make all the plays.
What Machado means to San Diego
Tony Gwynn built Petco Park, but Machado made it fun to root for the Friars again.
He has risen from being baseball’s bad boy to becoming a true team leader. Machado has led the Padres to three postseason appearances (2020, 2022, and 2024) since shocking the baseball universe and signing with the San Diego before the 2019 season. Now, the Friars are regarded as perennial postseason contenders.
Machado has revolutionized the franchise, as he transformed the Gaslamp Quarter structure from a must-see attraction during your vacation to America’s Finest City into one of the hottest tickets in the majors. The atmosphere is carnival-like on most nights.
Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is the prohibitive favorite to win back-to-back NL MVPs, but players like Machado are making their case for consideration.
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