The San Diego Padres needed a middle-order grown-up this year, and Manny Machado wore that assignment like a captain’s pin. When the Padres’ offense tilted between hot streaks and scoreless stretches, his bat was the stabilizer, extra-base damage when pitchers lived in the zone, line-to-line contact when they didn’t. That balance is the heart of the Silver Slugger conversation at third base. It’s not just that he produced; it’s that he produced in ways that travel, shaping innings and rescuing them in equal measure.
Zoom out and the case sharpens. Among National League hot-corner bats, he delivered the rare combo of volume and thump: a .