Padres Manager Had Simple Message to Manny Machado to Fix Confidence

Manny Machado has been battling to break out of a slump all season long.

The 2026 season hasn't gone to plan for the San Diego Padres star so far, but Machado has continued to put the work in, hoping for more consistent results.

Last year, Machado was great for the Padres, hitting .275 with 27 home runs and 97 runs batted in. So, the struggles of Machado have been strange to see this year, especially because they have seemingly come out of nowhere.

Machado recently admitted that he changed up his offseason work, and this could be playing into the hitting troubles. But as he has tried to work through the offensive problems, Padres manager Craig Stammen hasn't given up on his star, staying on him to keep the confidence at the plate.

“Do it like you’ve done it a million times,” Stammen said he told Machado before his game-winning, three-run home run on Saturday against the Texas Rangers. “Because he has done it a million times. … He has had the career he has had, he is the person that he is, he has the confidence in himself that is undeniable, and that makes him believe in those situations he’s the best man at the plate.”

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS pic.twitter.com/qnYIvnKciC
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 20, 2026

So far this year, Machado has hit .179 with 13 home runs and 41 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .625. His power numbers have been there at the plate, but having a batting average well below the Mendoza Line isn't going to cut it.

Machado knows he can be better, and he believes that the best is still to come for him this year. But he has credited Stammen for how he's managed all the issues around the Padres' offense this season, especially his.

“At the end of the day, I have all the confidence in the world I’m going to be good,” Machado said. “And to have your manager put you up there every single day in the lineup, obviously you want to do the best for him.”

Stammen is in the middle of his first season as a manager at any level, and he has gained the respect of the players in the clubhouse.

Machado isn't the only star on the Padres to see hitting troubles this year, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill also struggling. The issues for Machado have been highlighted more due to his age (33) and the number of years left on his current deal.

The Padres still owe Machado $39 million each season for the next seven years, so something will need to change; otherwise, his contract will become a real problem.

Machado has proven himself over the years, and hopefully for San Diego, the first three months of this season are just an outlier.

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