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Is Manny Machado Showing Signs of Age-Related Decline?
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado has struggled mightily so far in 2026, hitting .172/.263/.344 with 10 home runs, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored, and one stolen base across 241 plate appearances. It's a startling decline for the veteran, who entered 2026 riding a streak of five consecutive seasons with at least a .258 batting average, 27 home runs, and 91 RBI. Machado's issues at the plate have been at least partially fueled by bad luck, as his .177 batting average on balls in play is significantly below his career mark of .296. However, there are some worrying signs in his underlying metrics. Machado's 8.2% barrel rate is his worst since 2019, and his 44.3% hard-hit rate is his lowest since 2020. The 33-year-old's strikeout rate has also slipped to a career-worst 23.2%. Machado's production feels likely to regress to the mean over a larger sample, but he may finally be exhibiting signs of age-related decline.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
