Manny Machado finally gave the Padres something to build on, and it came just when they needed it most.
For much of the first half, San Diego was waiting for the version of Machado it expected to anchor the lineup. Instead, his offense fell off hard enough that he ended up with the worst batting average among qualified hitters in baseball, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. That’s a brutal place for a player of his caliber to land, and it left the Padres searching for answers.
Over the weekend, though, Machado started to look like himself again. He went 8-for-16 over the final four games, capped by a three-hit performance in Sunday’s finale against Toronto. The Padres won that game, took the series, and snapped out of a rough stretch at the same time Machado’s bat came alive.
“It’s a game-changer,” Stammen said. “The Padres have always gone how Manny goes.”
The numbers tell the story from both ends. Machado has 19 home runs, putting him on pace for a 30-homer season, but the Padres need him producing every day, not just in bursts. He’s also finally climbed back above the Mendoza line, while Fernando Tatis Jr. has been giving San Diego steady production without any home runs so far.
“I was kind of stuck at .180 there for a long time,” Machado said with a wry smile. “Definitely better to start the second half with a ‘2’ up there.”
That Toronto series mattered in the standings, too. The Padres trimmed their deficit in the wild-card race from 5-1/2 games to 3-1/2, and the schedule gives them a chance to keep moving when they head out to face the Miami Marlins, one of the teams ahead of them. Before that, they’ll try to bank a few wins against the bottom-feeding Kansas City Royals.
“It’s just a good taste in our mouth that we can think about for the next four days,” said manager Craig Stammen. “And then get back after it on Friday.”
Even with Machado heating up, the bigger problem still hangs over San Diego: the rotation. It’s made up of discards and back-end types, and it’s hard to see that group carrying the Padres through any real sustained run.
There’s also been talk from ownership about the possibility of spending at the trade deadline, but those reports come with the note that the sale still hasn’t been finalized. That has to happen soon, or this could slip into a lost season in San Diego.
In Other News...
Padres Fans Wont Like Where This Mason Miller Rumor Leads
The Padres murky deadline outlook has only gotten more complicated as rumors swirl around Mason Miller, one of the most coveted relievers in the game. Multiple reports, including from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, have linked interest in the San Diego closer to a potential trade market that could force the club to decide whether to keep pushing for a postseason spot or start listening more seriously if the slide continues.
San Diegos recent stretch has left plenty of room for doubt, even with the club still close enough to stay in the race. The pending ownership sale adds another layer of uncertainty, since a front office waiting on a change at the top is not exactly in an ideal spot to make a clean buyer-or-seller call, and any deal for Miller would require a massive return that makes this whole discussion feel more like a warning sign than a done deal. [Read more 🡒]
Heath Bell Just Said What Padres Fans Fear About Preller And Stammen
Heath Bells latest comments land with extra weight because they tap into a familiar Padres frustration: the constant churn around the dugout. San Diego has already gone through four managers since 2019, and even with a roster that has usually been good enough to stay in the conversation, the organization keeps circling back to the same question about leadership and direction.
Bells criticism of Craig Stammens hire fits neatly into that unease, especially with AJ Preller once again making a major bet on a manager who had not yet built a long track record in the role. The Padres also reshaped parts of the coaching staff before the 2026 season, but the results on the field have only kept the spotlight on whether the problem is really the people wearing the uniform, or the decisions being made above them. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Quietly Added A New Wave Of Post-Draft Upside Bets
The Padres did not stop building after the 2026 MLB Draft, quietly adding a fresh batch of undrafted free agents who fit the organizations long-running appetite for upside. Nine players have come aboard so far, a mix of pitchers and outfielders from both colleges and high schools, giving San Diego a deeper pool of developmental arms and athletic position players to sort through in the months ahead.
Among the names drawing the most attention are Tyler Pitzer and Josh Skowronski, two players whose backgrounds and tools give the class some real intrigue even without the draft-day spotlight. It is the kind of post-draft maneuvering that carries obvious risk, but for a club willing to keep betting on traits and projection, these signings offer another chance to uncover value where other teams may have already moved on. [Read more 🡒]