Manny Machado’s 30 homers made his Silver Slugger snub impossible to ignore at first glance. But once the full offensive line comes into view, the Padres third baseman’s case gets a lot less airtight.
Machado finished the 2026 season at .217/.303/.407, a line that tells the real story behind the power total. The home runs were loud.
The stretches in between were not. He did enough damage to make people notice when his name was left off the finalist list, but not enough to make that omission feel like a clear-cut robbery.
The .303 on-base percentage matters here. So does the .407 slugging mark. Thirty homers are a real weapon, but an offensive award asks for more than one number, and Machado’s overall production never quite rose to the level his power suggested it might.
That becomes even clearer when you stack him next to Alex Bregman. Bregman hit 28 home runs for the Cubs and posted a .265/.355/.464 line.
Machado had the edge in homers, but Bregman got on base more often and slugged at a much stronger clip. That’s the comparison Machado’s supporters have to win, and it’s a tough one to make with just the home run column.
For San Diego, the bigger issue is what Machado’s season says about the offense as a whole. The Padres can live with the threat of a ball leaving the yard.
What they need more consistently is production in the at-bats when it doesn’t. Machado’s 30 homers gave the lineup a foundation, but the rest of his season left too much on the table.
So yes, the omission stands out because 30 home runs stand out. But the full picture explains why it happened. And it also explains why the Padres need a stronger version of Machado in 2027.
In Other News...
Padres Just Lost Another Wave Of Depth With One Familiar Name Gone
The Padres offseason depth chart took another hit this week, with a long list of minor league free agents peeling away from the organization. According to the teams transaction log on MiLB.com, San Diego has now lost 11 position players and eight pitchers from the system, a reminder of how quickly the margins can thin once the roster churn of the winter begins.
Among the names on the move is Johnson, who logged 134 MLB games for the Padres and had become one of the more familiar holdovers in the organization. The rest of the list includes players who spent the 2026 season at various minor league levels, which is the part that matters most for a club like San Diego, where every bit of upper-level depth can end up relevant before long. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Prospect Kannon Kemp Suddenly Faces A Tough Development Question
Kannon Kemps Arizona Fall League stint has become a useful snapshot of where the Padres prospect stands after injuries cost him significant development time. The right-hander still shows the kind of velocity and pitch mix that made him an intriguing arm in the system, but the command issues have been hard to ignore, and the overall quality of his pitches has not matched the expectations that followed him into the fall.
For San Diego, that leaves Kemp in a familiar but tricky spot for a young pitcher trying to get back on track. The raw stuff is still there, which is why he remains worth watching, but the organization now has to sort through what comes next and whether his next step should be more refinement or a different level of competition altogether. [Read more 🡒]
Tatis Just Gave Padres Fans A New Debate About His Value
Fernando Tatis Jr. has given Padres fans another reason to argue about just how valuable he really is, and this one comes with hardware attached. The star was nominated for the 2026 National League Silver Slugger Award at two positions, outfield and utility, a reflection of how much his game has stretched beyond the usual box score label. He spent 53 games at second base and handled the spot with a .979 fielding percentage, while still producing at the plate with a .289 average, 25 home runs and 83 RBIs.
The unusual split only adds to the intrigue, because Tatis is now up against a deep field of contenders at both spots and could put himself in Padres record territory if he comes away with one or both awards. For a player whose value has always sparked debate, the nomination underscores how much his versatility has mattered to San Diego this season. The only question left is whether the voters will reward him in one role, both, or leave the Padres waiting to see how the final tally shakes out. [Read more 🡒]