Padres Manager Craig Stammen Backs Manny Machado Amid Batting Order Debate

Under first-year manager Craig Stammen, the San Diego Padres have the worst offense in MLB. Through 72 games, they rank 30th in runs scored (274), 30th in hits (505), 30th in RBIs (267), 30th in batting average (.216) and 30th in OPS (.647).

At the forefront of their struggles is third basemanManny Machado. Through his career, the 33-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the league's most consistent hitters. However, 2026 doesn't follow that trend.

In 70 games, he has accumulated 257 at-bats, 32 runs scored, 45 hits, 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and 29 walks. The seven-time All-Star is slashing just .175/.255/.354 with a .609 OPS. It's a steep drop from his career OPS of .817.

Despite his struggles, Machado has not batted lower than fourth in the lineup all season, according to FanGraphs. Putting together the worst season of his career, Stammen's decision to keep him toward the top of the lineup has faced heavy criticism.

However, it appears the skipper still isn't ready to make a change. During an appearance on 97.3 The Fan, Stammen called out anyone who believes Machado should be dropped in the order.

"Do we know who Manny Machado is? Stammen said. "Yes, we do, and I believe wholeheartedly he's gonna come out of this, he's gonna lead the way the second half of the season, and he's gonna dominate, and we're gonna laugh at these conversations later. And he's gonna hit in the middle of our lineup. Whoever is saying that he should bat sixth, I just don't know what they're thinking."

Craig Stammen joined @BenAndWoods and was asked if he's considered making any drastic changes to the batting order such as moving down his struggling stars: pic.twitter.com/b1d0Xkdmva

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) June 17, 2026

While it appears Machado won't be falling in the lineup, it's clear the Padres need some sort of boost. Through May 23, San Diego was 31-20 and emerging as one of MLB's top teams to begin the 2026 season.

However, the team has since gone on a 6-15 skid and sits at 37-35. As of now, the Padres are nine games back in the National League West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and one game behind for a wild-card spot.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:55 PM.