San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado is starting to receive a lot of heat in recent weeks for his play. Are Padres fans losing confidence in the star?

As the Padres head to Baltimore, the team that drafted Manny Machado and introduced him to the league, the star third baseman is taking heavy criticism within the San Diego fan base.

To his credit, Machado is front and center while discussing the issues with the team, but the fans are growing tired of excuses.

They crave results. No, they demand them.

The years of complacent fans who are just happy the team is relevant are over. The modern era of Padre fans no nothing about those days of hardship. They require nothing but the best from this franchise and expect to win. With that, there is a sense of accountability within the fan base.

San Diego is growing in terms of being a sports city. Accountability is part of that building block to success.

In recent weeks, the play of the San Diego Padres has dropped dramatically. They look horrible and unmotivated.

Earlier in the season, the team won games despite the play of their stars. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill are all still well-below their anticipated numbers. Tatis may be raising his average, but the power numbers are still not there. Merrill is really struggling and looks lost at the plate for stretches. Machado is showing power. but little else. It is maddening for the fans.

The team is a mess right now and blame is starting to fall on the Padres’ perceived captain- Manny Machado.

Last week Machado took criticism or praise (depending on which side you are on) in speaking about analytics in the game of baseball. Machado made it a point to explain that he is tired of all the numbers that are created in the modern game of baseball.

“I just wish we can get the analytics out the way… Why are we creating these stats? I think that’s the problem with baseball right now.” -Manny Machado

(via @MartyCaswell) pic.twitter.com/224F7rAbGh

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 6, 2026

This was an interesting conversation with Machado as he attempts to become more open to the media. The Padres are embracing analytics on the scoreboard and are now posting a player’s WAR, BABIP, wRC+, xwOBA, SLG, Hard Hit Rate, Bat Speed, ISO, Barrel Percentage and Sprint Speed.

For Machado, that is too much. And honestly, for most fans, it’s overwhelming. Baseball analytics are a great way to evaluate a player and attempt to determine their true worth. For a ballplayer, you can never discount things like luck, human emotion, chemistry and hard work when equating the value of someone. Statistics will never be able to predict that. Machado just wants to play the game he loves. In going through a slump, these are the questions that come to you in media scrums. That is just the way it is.

Manny Machado will never be known for his hustle. There will be moments of frustration in that fact.

He plays the game with so much ease that more often than not, people will call him out for looking lazy. I refuse to defend him not running out a groundball, but you have to take the bad with the good when you are talking about Manny Machado. His style of play is frustrating to watch in segments, but his grit and determination to win is what we should praise.

Manny Machado is not going anywhere. The Padres invested in him, and he is here to stay.

His contract is hefty and trading him would not be feasible for the Padres.

Sure, he is slumping. Yes, he needs to be better. But baseball is funny. It will only take a few weeks of a hot streak for his numbers to be aligned. You know it’s coming. Baseball is as predictable as the setting sun. When you possess a hall-of-fame-like career, your numbers are consistent. Machado is a future MLB Hall-of-Famer. He will get on a hot streak.

Through 65 games, Machado is batting .172 with a .598 OPS which is last among all MLB qualifiers. That cannot continue.

In closing, Padres fans probably need to relax a bit. The team is playing bad and it feels like there is no hope in sight. I get it. But that is just the marathon that is a Major League Baseball season. In a few weeks, the San Diego Padres could be the hottest team in all of baseball led by Manny Machado. That is just the nature of the game.

For now, support must be shown for Manny Machado. Even when he is playing like crap.

There really is no other choice.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.