Manny Machado Sends Message to Padres Fans Ahead of 2026 Season

San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado sent a message to the fans for the 2026 season.

Machado spent the last few weeks competing in the World Baseball Classic, where he represented the Dominican Republic.

Machado and Padres teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. joined Team Dominican Republic in early March to participate in the tournament. The lineup was one of the most dangerous offenses in the WBC and the Dominican Republic was one game away from reaching the final.

The squad's 15 home runs set a new tournament record, which broke Team Mexico's previous record set in 2009 of 14 home runs. Team Dominican Republic's 52 runs were 10 higher than the next closest team, and the lineup's combined 1.025 OPS was the best among all 20 competing countries.

In the semifinals, Team USA defeated the Dominican Republic by a score of 2-1 to advance to the WBC finale. While Machado's squad suffered a crushing loss, they received overwhelming support from their fans.

Following the Dominican Republic's 10-0 win over Korea in the quarterfinals, Machado was asked to describe the atmosphere in Miami.

His response? Well, he couldn't even describe it.

"Honestly, I can't because it was just insane. It was unbelievable. Both crowds were nonstop for nine innings. Even pregame for BP, was kind of crazy here," Machado said.

Machado went 2-4 with an RBI in their seven-inning mercy rule beatdown of Korea. The Padres star revealed the energy from the fans was incomparable, even to a playoff atmosphere at Petco Park.

"It doesn't [compare]," Machado said. "I keep telling people, we gotta bring this to the playoffs. We gotta be able to let fans bring drum sets, whatever you can bring, guitars. Just start banging on things, it just makes it more emotional.

"Everything that makes noise, bring it."

It's evident Machado believes fans should be able to bring instruments to the stadium, which several fans did throughout the WBC as a way to cheer on their favorite team.

This should be a new challenge for Padres fans, who are considered one of the most loyal fanbases throughout MLB.

Manny Machado wants Padres fans to start bringing instruments to playoff games.

"Everything that makes noise, bring it." pic.twitter.com/9wVLwWhkow
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 13, 2026

Could Padres set new attendance record in 2026?

In 2025, the Friars set a new franchise record with over three million home fans, marking the third consecutive year they broke their attendance record.

The team averaged between 42,434–42,521 fans per game, which ranked second in the league behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres recorded 72 home game sellouts at Petco Park.

Based on Machado's message to fans, it appears the Padres star is looking for an even more lively crowd this season.

The feat shouldn't be difficult to accomplish given San Diego's unwavering support of the Padres and the team's success over the last few seasons.

While Machado and Tatis are coming off a tough loss in the WBC semifinal, there's much to be excited about for the 2026 MLB season. The hope is that the fans bring the same energy to Petco Park — and perhaps a little more.

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