Manny Machado’s Struggles at 34 | MLB News

0:00It's September 2nd. This is MLB News today, powered by AI tracking teams, players and standings. Many Machados on pace to play a lot of games this year, around 158. That's the same kind of workload as younger guys, like Jackson Meryl and Fernando Tateez Jr. But here's the thing. Machado is 34, and his performance this season is hitting career lows across the board. We're talking about his worst full season in 15 years, with stats that just aren't where they used to be. His batting average is down, his on-base percentage is lower than ever for a full season, and his slugging percentage is also at a career low. Even his bat speed, while still fast, is slowing down a bit, and he's not connecting with the ball as cleanly as he has in the past. On the defensive side, his numbers there aren't as stellar as we've come to expect either, which is the bit of a surprise. Machado himself has admitted he could have used more days off this season, hinting that fatigue might be a factor in his struggles. He's not entirely sure, but he thinks it's a possibility, along with other things.

1:04It's a tough call for the team, balancing the desire to rest him with the need to have him in the lineup. It's worth noting that this kind of drop-off isn't always predictable. Last year, Machado had a solid season, right in line with his production from the previous couple of years. So, this dip in performance at his age isn't something that always shows up gradually. For now, the Padres are pushing forward, hoping Machado can find a way to keep going strong through the end of October. It's a critical time for the team, and they're counting on him to dig deep and give them what he's got.