Padres Veteran Third Baseman's Slow Spring: Cause for Concern or Just a Phase?
With the 2025 MLB season quickly approaching, the San Diego Padres find themselves potentially having to answer a pressing question, is it time to worry about Manny Machado? Throughout Spring Training, the veteran infielder has struggled to get off to a strong start, managing just three hits in 24 at-bats with only a week remaining until the Padres’ Opening Day matchup against the Atlanta Braves. This slow start for the 32-year-old is particularly concerning, considering Machado's significant impact on the Padres’ success each season. His importance was evident in the latter half of the 2024 season, where the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner posted a .294 batting average, hit 24 home runs, and drove in 76 runs over the last four months of the regular season. Despite his struggles in camp, Machado expressed feeling much healthier entering Spring Training, calling this season a “fresh start” after dealing with lingering injuries over the past three seasons.
As the Padres prepare for the 2025 regular season, the team enters cautiously optimistic about their chances, even though many predict San Diego will regress from their 93-win season in 2024, which ended with their elimination by NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the NLDS. The team has retained much of its core from a year ago, led by Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and promising young talent like Jackson Merrill, who finished second in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year Award behind Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes. However, the Padres will continue to face stiff competition in the NL West, with both the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks making notable offseason additions. Meanwhile, the Padres’ offseason moves were more modest, including some key departures, such as former closer Tanner Scott and utilityman Jurickson Profar.
Heading into the season, the question remains whether the Padres can finally capitalize on their talent-filled roster and make a deep postseason run that culminates in a World Series Championship. Despite major offseason signings and in-season trades in recent years, San Diego is still looking to put it all together and avoid falling short of expectations once again. With Dylan Cease entering his second season with San Diego and leading the starting rotation, along with a strong supporting cast that includes Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts, and Jason Heyward, the Padres have every tool at their disposal to overcome past postseason failures. While Machado’s slow start in Spring Training could be seen as concerning, the 14-year veteran’s track record suggests he’ll return to form once the regular season begins. Ultimately, the Padres’ success in 2025 will largely depend on their ability to put all the pieces together and overcome tough competition within the NL West.
