Padres' $350,000,000 star Manny Machado shares honest verdict as club's postseason hopes fade: "We definitely underperformed as a group"
Manny Machado voiced his anguish over the poor and inconsistent performances of the San Diego Padres this season. The Friars are looking to the exit gate and have little to no chance of claiming the final wild-card spot in the National League. It's funny how a franchise that went to the NLCS in 2022 has fallen face-first this season as the remaining game days transpire. Lack of accountability and weak team synergy led to the downfall of the Padres.
Manny Machado has seen better seasons in his major league playing career, but the way San Diego played out in the current season came as a major shock to him as well. Considering the lavish spending over the winter break, one had expected the Padres to at least reach the NLDS, but it doesn't look that way now. Manny was evidently infuriated by his and his teammates' performances this year.
"Obviously the year didn’t go as planned. … Fortunately, we know how good we are and what we’re capable of. We’ve shown it over the last week or so. We’ve shown spurts of it throughout the year. We just couldn’t really put it together. For sure, we definitely underperformed as a group. We didn’t play to our best capabilities, and as a group, we’re better than that. We’re going to continue to grow as a team and continue to be better" - Manny Machado via San Diego-Union Tribune
"The San Diego Tribune reported Friday that the Padres’ culture, and not just the performances on the field, are at the center of the team’s struggles, starting with the handsomely paid third baseman, Manny Machado" - SJ_MUSICGROUP
What went wrong for Manny Machado and the Padres?
Even with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Juan Soto in their starting lineup, the Friars have had trouble scoring runs. Even after setup man Robert Suarez was activated off the injured list, the bullpen still had problems. A troubling start to a protracted contract extension has been the underperformance of key starters like Yu Darvish.
"Padres They win half of these games, they make the playoffs! Poor management in extras and Hill pitching cost us at least 8 plus games!" - ViprThereal
Machado, who came in second in the voting for the National League MVP last season, might be the main cause of San Diego's lack of a "winning culture." According to a report, the squad is suffering from a "leadership void," and Machado is the one who "controls the clubhouse and sets a tone and personality for the team." And whatever the issues are, they cannot be resolved under the current system by 2023, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Machado speaks on this year’s Padres" - BRWalkoff
Although variation almost always plays a part in extreme results, whether positive or negative, luck isn't the only factor. That doesn't make up for the Friars' season-long struggles, and it won't make it any easier for fans to accept Machado's remarks.