In Year 4 of $300M Deal, Manny Machado Is the NL MVP Frontrunner

Fernando Tatis Jr. may be absent from the Padres lineup, but Manny Machado has kept them in contention in the NL West — a feat which could land him his first MVP Award.

Machado’s two hits Wednesday upped his MLB-leading total to 46, and even with a loss, San Diego (20-12) remains in second place, 1.5 games behind the Dodgers. 

After four top-10 finishes in MVP voting with Baltimore (9th in 2013, 4th in ’15, 5th in ’16) and San Diego (3rd in 2020), Machado has his best chance to win this year — he’s the current favorite (+425) to win the NL award. 

• The 29-year-old leads the NL in runs (27), average (.383), OBP (.460), slugging (.625), OPS (1.085), OPS+ (222), and total bases (75).
• Machado has seven HRs (T3 in NL), 22 RBI (7th), and six steals (T3).
• The five-time All-Star has a 1.000 fielding percentage, handling 73 total chances at third base without an error.

The Padres won the Machado sweepstakes in 2019, signing him to a 10-year, $300 million deal that at the time was the biggest free-agent contract in American sports history. They’re arguably getting their money’s worth.

With Tatis Jr. slated to return from his wrist injury in mid- or late-June, the sluggers’ one-two punch could deliver the Padres their first World Series title. They are currently tied for the eighth-best odds (+1700).