2 awful spring training performances Padres fans are overreacting to before Opening Day

It's tough to argue against some Padres players under-performing in spring training. Some performances have definitely been below the standard of how they generally play in San Diego, but fans should not fret just yet.

Dylan Cease and Manny Machado, two stars of the game, have not quite been the same player that Friars fans know them to be this spring, but once the regular season rolls around, that concern should fade away.

Padres fans should not worry about Dylan Cease and Manny Machado at spring training

Dylan Cease

In Cease's first three starts of the spring, he was forgettable. Allowing seven combined runs across 9 1/3 innings, Cease was strugglign with his command. Leaving pitches too far in the zone, it was clear that he still needed more time to get into his groove.

On March 16, Cease handed in his best outing of the spring, although it wasn't quite enough to walk back some concerns from the Friars fans. He struck out eight batters against the Angels in 4 1/3 innings, but he also walked three guys. From his third start to his fourth, Cease's WHIP did not change at all, holding at 1.39 - which is suboptimal for an ace-like pitcher.

Despite that, it appears that Cease is moving in the right direction. There shouldn't be any concern of him until the regular season. Everyone just needs to trust that he will have it all figured out by Opening Day ... and that is if he is still in a Padres uniform by then, considering the constant trade rumors surrounding him.

Manny Machado

Entering Monday, Machado is batting 3-for-22 (.136) this spring with one home run and seven strikeouts. These are his worst marks since spring training in 2020, which was his first year with the Padres. To make matters worse, he is 1-for-his-last-16 at the dish, going down on strikes seven times.

Is this cause for concern? While it absolutely should not, it is understandable for some fans to panic a bit. Machado turns 33 years old this season, so the mileage is starting to add up. However, Machado is still one of Major League Baseball's best third basemen, and he will hold that status until he declines in games that actually matter.

Hopefully, it's just a slow start for Machado. Padres fans know that he can produce in the regular season, so let's give him a chance before getting worried.