Padres Boss Says Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado Know They 'Gotta Be Better'

The top of the San Diego Padres' lineup has been a major problem this season, with the biggest stars on the team struggling to produce.

The spotlight has been on stars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., with each guy failing to be a consistent contributor to the team.

However, despite the offensive issues that San Diego has dealt with, the team hasn't skipped a beat. The Padres remain one of the better teams in the National League, and they have been extremely competitive within the NL West.

Amid all of the offensive struggles, Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller weighed in on the two stars. Preller knows that both of them need to be better, but he hasn't lost belief in his guys.

"A lot of belief in Manny and Fernando," Preller said on 97.3 The Fan "They've won a lot of games, they've gotten us into the playoffs multiple times. They will be the first to tell you they've gotta be better, and they understand that."

"You look at the track records of those guys and the want," Preller added. "We haven't seen those guys at their best, and we know that's coming."

.@BenAndWoods asked AJ Preller about his perspective on the Padres' offensive struggles and if he's confident in their process: pic.twitter.com/wJlWGW49Dk
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 15, 2026

Overall, Machado has hit .182 with six home runs and 20 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .604. On Sunday, he hit his first extra-base hit in seven games.

Tatis, on the other hand, has been even more of a disappointment, as he is yet to hit a home run this season. For the year, Tatis has hit .232 with 15 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases, while posting an OPS of .581. He's hit all over the lineup, even being dropped to fifth at times this year.

The Padres have been a little concerned with the lack of power from Tatis, but both sides have been working together to figure it out. Each guy wants nothing more than to break through this season, but both have pointed to the fact that San Diego continues to win games, even without their production.

“We’re going to hit,” Machado said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I have no worries that we’re not going to hit. We’re great hitters. We’re up here for a reason. We are who we are for a reason. It’s just a matter of time for us to break out again and to get rolling, and it’s going to be fun when we do it. It’s going to be even better. It’s been amazing to be a part of this so far, and where we are right now, and we really haven’t been contributing.”

The Padres open up a massive three-game series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers this week, giving themselves a chance to make a statement early in the season.

There's no better time for Machado and Tatis to get going than this week, with first place in the NL West on the line.

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