Padres' Manny Machado Calls Himself 'Stupid' for Playing Baseball

The San Diego Padres have certainly seen better days with an underwhelming 2-8 record in their last 10 games that included an eight-game skid.

Sunday's win against the Los Angeles Dodgers will hope to be a turning point in the disappointment of the 2026 season thus far, and superstar Manny Machado once again displayed unwavering hope for his crew.

“I mean, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played, and I think the best is still in front of us. I mean, that’s no question about it," Machado said. "I think, with the group that we have here, we still have confidence that we can turn things around."

Machado also made a hilarious admission about those who play baseball, calling them "stupid" for being in something that you fail more often than not.

"Obviously, you know there’s a lot of things that haven’t really been going our way. It’s baseball, man. That’s the beauty of it. And I’ve been a part of it, and it’s a beautiful game, and we’re all stupid to be playing it. We’re all stupid to be playing it, because it’s a life of struggle," Machado said.

"You fail seven times, and you’re still a Hall of Famer. You’re struggling, you’re grinding. So, I mean, it just makes it better, you know. I think, you know, we’re dealing with some adversity right now."

The Padres have failed to meet expectations after playing a little over half of their 2026 total, but there is still a feeling that the best is yet to come as Machado touched on. Though it isn't obvious from his 18 home runs and 51 RBIs, Machado is only hitting .189 on the year.

With only five home runs to his name this season, Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .284 with a hard-hit rate in the 95th percentile across MLB. Both of the superstars in San Diego are showing signs of a major second half of the year.

Aside from the stars underperforming on the diamond, there are still more waiting in the wings recovering from injuries.

Right-handers Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove are trending towards a return likely after the trade deadline. Relievers Jason Adam, David Morgan and Jeremiah Estrada are also currently on the shelf and are aiming to return sometime after the All-Star break.

"We got to deal with some injuries that we’ve been dealing with," Machado said. "Guys hopefully coming back, they’re going to help us and make a big impact. So we’ve just got to keep it close and keep playing our game. It’s not gonna be a full season. I think things will turn around.”

Is Machado, or really anyone, "stupid" for playing baseball professionally? Of course not.

A myriad of factors at play continue to keep baseball as one of the most unpredictable sports. Staying the course and having a full-season mindset can certainly make it easier to navigate, especially during the less favorable points of a given year.

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