Padres' Manny Machado Has Officially Changed His Mindset in 2026

Something has started to click for San Diego Padres superstar Manny Machado at the plate over the last 10 games following a long slump to open the season.

Machado has hit .231 with three home runs, nine runs batted in and an OPS of .850 over his last 10 contests. These numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but for a player who has seen his average be well below the Mendoza Line all season, it's a major improvement.

Additionally, Machado has been clutch, hitting a go-ahead three-run home run and a walk-off single over the last week.

The veteran opened up about his recent mindset change and how it's been fueling his results of late.

“It’s not thinking about the results, just thinking about staying committed to the work that I’m doing, staying true to it and trust in the process,” Machado said. “Staying within yourself, staying within what you need to do with it. … It goes back to trusting the process, trusting that you’re putting yourself in the right positions, trusting that you’ve done everything that you can and you’re in a good position to fire and trusting that."

Machado has focused on the mental side of the game to help him navigate the issues at the plate. While he hasn't fully broken out yet, he's clearly getting closer.

“When you do that, you’re able to connect," he said. "When you’re not trusting and you’re trying to look for the results, you probably just pull that [pitch foul] or [are] a little bit more anxious on it.”

The veteran has come up with some clutch moments over the last few weeks, his most recent coming on Tuesday night with a 10th inning walk-off hit to win the series over the Atlanta Braves.

MANNY MACHADO WALKS IT OFF! pic.twitter.com/fzIaUxBOTo
— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2026

Even with this recent stretch of games, Machado is still batting .185 at the plate this season. His power numbers have been with him all year, though, with the veteran hitting 14 home runs. His OPS is up to .645.

The Padres will hope that the first few months of the season are merely an outlier for Machado. The team still owes him $39 million per season for the next seven years, so the team will hope that he isn't declining just yet, and can get back to being the All-Star-caliber player who's carried San Diego over the better part of the last decade.

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