Manny Machado is the linchpin of the Padres’ early season success

Rylie Smith

May 5, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) gestures after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres were in for an unpredictable season with the absence of Fernando Tatis Jr., who is sidelined until June with a wrist fracture.

Losing Tatis before the season even began was a huge blow. Luckily, Manny Machado has stepped up to provide what the team needs.

Machado is one of, if not the most, significant contributors to the Padres’ success this season. Over the weekend, he helped the Padres sweep the San Francisco Giants in commanding fashion. Sunday’s massive 10-1 win was a particularly explosive game, as Machado went 4-for-4 with two RBI, one triple, three doubles, and three runs.

His performance shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, as he’s been producing incredible hits all season. Machado leads MLB in hits (58) and leads the National League in batting average, on-base and slugging percentages, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.

The Padres wouldn’t have the success they do without Manny Machado

The Padres are 28-14, just half a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and have one of the best records in baseball. However, looking at their collective offensive stats, it’s clear they wouldn’t be in this position without Machado. While they are drawing more walks than almost every team, they rank fairly low in almost every other hitting metric, below league average in hits, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases.

Machado alone makes up over 18% of their 509 total bases. He also leads the team in home runs with eight, a fourth of the team’s total (32); only four teams have fewer homers. Basic arithmetic paints a stark photo of how dismal the offense would be without him.

Plenty of players have stepped up in Tatis’ absence, but the Padres are winning because of Machado. It’s evident that without his contribution this season, they wouldn’t be nearly as strong as they are now.

Rylie Smith

Rylie's first experience with sports was when she was 3 years old, as a tee-ball player and a dancer. Her life quickly began to revolve around sports, and it quickly became not only a passion as an athlete, but a passion as a spectator. During undergrad, she studied sport communications and became a multi-platform intern for NBC Sports Boston. She is most drawn to NHL and MLB, but is interested in all sports.