Why Padres Manny Machado problem is a very real concern originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The 2026 season for the San Diego Padres hasn't exactly gone to plan, even though the team is sitting above .500 with a 35-33 record, and residing in a Wild Card spot.

While injuries to key players, like Nick Pivetta, are a reason things aren't fully going to plan this season, there is a much more pressing problem for the Padres: the production of Manny Machado.

As ESPN's David Schoenfield writes, this Machado problem is not just a temporary thing; it appears to be a very real concern that might impact Machado for the rest of his Padres and MLB career.

Padres Manny Machado problem is for real

"Machado won't hit .172 all season, as this start is partially the result of low BABIP on grounders," Schoenfield writes. "Expect some upward regression there, but there are still enough red flags here to suggest that he's no longer a reliable middle-of-the-order bat."

The Padres slugger is supposed to be a key part of this offense, as his massive $350 million contract still has seven more seasons to go before it's up.

But, for the 33-year-old, soon to be 34, to be struggling this much already, it's fair for there to be some great concern with his production.

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Schoenfield believes this problem for the Padres with Machado is a real one, and not just a momentary blip or elongated slump. This is more so what Machado's future will entail.

Even if he gets his batting average back above .200 and inches closer to a 100 OPS+, it does seem like the days of 120 OPS+ seasons might be past Machado.

He's striking out more than ever, and his exit velocity is lower than ever. All MLB players age differently, but it appears as if the 2026 season is the cliff for Machado, and this current production will more closely resemble his output for the rest of his deal.