The weather is heating up, and so is Manny Machado. The third baseman began the year battling through injuries but has turned it around. Machado is poised for another All-Star selection, the seventh of his career, and is boosting a San Diego Padres team that is heating up with him. After an offseason elbow surgery, Machado appeared to be his old self in Spring Training, slashing .313/.333/.438 in 12 games. Once the season started, however, it became apparent that Machado wasn’t quite right. A slow start to the season worried fans, but the veteran urged patience and said he would sort it out and light it up as usual. Although it was a long time coming, Manny’s figured it out.
Padres Slugger Heating Up Before Midsummer Classic
Machado typically starts slow. He’s had some of his best seasons off of a slow start. However, this year, it was more pronounced. Through the first 42 games of the season, Machado was hitting .217/.274/.337. That’s a far cry below his career average of .279/.338/.486, especially in the slugging department. The Padres desperately needed the perennial MVP candidate’s help, the team fighting to stay alive in a tightly contested National League Wild Card. Amid all of the talk about his slow start, Machado quietly started performing again. He closed out the month of May on a nine-game hitting streak, raising his average to .241.
MANNY KEEPS MASHIN’ pic.twitter.com/NEeSYPVtym
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 29, 2024
In June, Machado was even more productive. In 25 games, he slashed .333/.378/.522 along with five home runs and 16 RBI. Machado ended the month on a seven-game hitting streak, including three consecutive two-hit performances. One of those performances was a two-home run, five RBI day at Fenway Park on June 29. His average sits at .268/.318/.408, still behind his career marks, but his slow start and his .217 average on May 17 shows how much more productive Machado has been. His defense is also starting to pick back up, with Manny seeing more regular playing time at third base rather than the DH spot.
Be The Leader
When the Padres signed Machado in February 2019, they expected him to flower into a veteran leader in the clubhouse. It’s no secret that Machado had issues with his temper, but that had cooled off since joining the Friars. Well, with the rough start, that temper started to flare. It felt that Machado wasn’t hustling as much as he should. But, as Machado is proving with his bat, sometimes things take time. Manny is still a leader in the clubhouse. He’s been first to celebrate any success with his teammates and first to hype them up afterwards. So, as the bat comes back, the more poised captain may as well.
With stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove still sidelined, Machado needs to continue to lead. The Padres need Machado to keep this pace offensively if they want to remain a contender in the battle for the NL Wild Card. Young stars like Jackson Merrill and surprises like Jurickson Profar have contributed to the team’s success, but they cannot shoulder the load forever. Machado is heating up and at the right time to try again to lead the Padres to the postseason.
Main Photo Credits: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
