Padres Stars Put on Blast Amid Early Season Struggles

Despite multiple key players on the San Diego Padres struggling to open the 2026 MLB season, the team has found ways to win games.

San Diego has been able to win in spite of its offensive issues, which is a testament to how the roster was built over the offseason.

But the team has seen some real problems at the plate from its star players, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill. Each player has dealt with their own issues on offense, and it's been a concerning trend for this team.

MLB.com writer AJ Cassavell put the Padres' stars on blast in a recent article, saying that for this team to go where it wants, the stars will need to produce.

"The Padres have gotten by with an injury-riddled rotation. Their bullpen has been mostly excellent. Their role players and their bench pieces have been solid. It feels like a fairly complete roster (though the rotation question marks will linger). If there’s one area for improvement it’s this: The Padres need their stars playing like stars. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have struggled. They’ve combined for just 10 homers and a sub-.700 OPS. If that trio gets going, the ceiling for this roster feels high," Cassavell wrote.

The problems from both Tatis and Machado have been especially alarming, and the team has been trying to work with the stars to fix the issues. Tatis has yet to hit a home run this season, which is now by far the longest drought of his career.

Overall, Tatis is hitting .245 with 15 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases, while posting an OPS of .617. The lack of power from the Padres' normally electric star has been eye-opening, and it has even confused him over the course of the year.

As for Machado, his decline is something to watch, as he's 33 years old and has a very expensive and long contract remaining. Machado has hit just .191 with six home runs and 20 runs batted in, while registering an OPS of .643.

Merrill has continued to disappoint following his breakout rookie season, and he is no longer the consistent threat at the plate. Overall, the outfielder has hit .221 with four home runs and 18 runs batted in, putting up an OPS of .645 for the year.

Each player has struggled to find any form of consistency at the plate this season, and somehow, the Padres have still won games. The big question mark around the Padres coming into the season was the starting pitching, but to this point, the offense has been the issue.

If this team eventually figures out the offensive problem, the overall ceiling of this group could be very high. San Diego has the feeling of a team ready to make some noise in the National League, but the organization will need the star players to start playing up to their potential to make this happen.

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