2022 Padres Player Review: Manny Machado

2022 Regular Season Statistics

7.4 fWAR, 150 G, .298 AVG, .366 OBP, .531 SLG, 159 OPS+, 100 R, 102 RBI, 32 HR

Positives From This Season

I could talk about Manny Machado all offseason long. He had immense pressure on him entering the 2022 season to step up and be one of the best players in baseball because his superstar teammate, Fernando Tatis Jr., was going to be sidelined for a significant amount of time.

He stepped up alright. He literally was one of the best players in baseball while Tatis was sidelined, which ended up being the entire season. Imagine if Mookie Betts or Nolan Arenado was out the entire season. Would Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt produce a National League leading 7.4 WAR? I don’t think so.

Machado had Eric Hosmer help him out during the first month of the season but then it was Machado who had to continue carrying the offense. The 30-year-old drove in at least 11 runs each month and hit .310 or better in April/March (.386), May (.312), and August (.342).

He suffered a terrible-looking ankle sprain June 19 in Colorado and fans knew if Machado didn’t return soon the season might be over. He rehabbed his ankle around the clock so that he could miss less than ten games and return for their June 30 game at Dodger Stadium. Machado even drove to Los Angeles from Arizona (where the team was playing their previous series) to keep swelling in his ankle down.

Talk about MVP? That’s what MVPs do. They go above and beyond to help their team win and that’s what Machado did for the Padres this season.

He was ready to shine come postseason time, too, as he homered in each postseason series the Padres played. Machado homered twice in the NLCS (once in Game 2 and once in Game 4). Two of his five postseason home runs came off of Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw.

I feel like I have to mention Machado’s greatness at third base as well because the Rawlings Gold Glove voters clearly don’t know how amazing he is at the hot corner. He makes plays that others dive for look incredibly easy and as former Padre Greg Garcia told me this season, “he’s just that much better than everybody”.

What a year from Manny. He’s my MVP but unfortunately I doubt he gets the actual award.

Negatives From This Season

I literally can’t find any negatives about Machado’s season. Maybe one is he went hitless in a few postseason games this year? So did Aaron Judge (five times), who broke the AL home run record this season.

If you wish to listen or watch me talk more about Machado’s season on the Talking Friars Podcast/YouTube show, click here!