Grading The 2025 San Diego Padres: Infielders

Manny Machado: A-
Machado had a good season in 2025. If I were grading just based on the first half of the season, he would receive an A grade. However, his numbers did dip in the second half of the season. Machado finished with 4.1 bWAR and led the team with 159 games played. He was also the best power hitter on the team, leading the club with 33 doubles and 27 home runs. He posted a solid OPS+ of 118 and made his first All-Star game since 2022. 

At this point, Machado probably is not getting much better over his career. In the past three years, his OPS+ has been 113, 120, and 118. This is who he is. He’s a solid hitter who plays solid defense. Not a superstar, but as a team leader, he’s earned a good grade for the 2025 season. 

Luis Arraez: C
Arraez had a down year by his standards in 2025. He posted 8.7 bWAR between 2022 and 2023, but managed just 1.3 bWAR in 2025. He led the national league in hits, with 181, but aside from his unique ability to make contact with every ball thrown his way, he did not excel in other areas. He posted a career-low .292 batting average, a career-low .327 OBP, and a career-low .392 slugging percentage. That led to his OPS+ dipping to 99, the lowest of his career. His defense at first base left plenty to be desired as well. Overall, not a great season for Arraez, who has probably played his way out of a big contract in 2026. 

Xander Bogaerts: C+
The Padres' shortstop was better in 2025 than he was in 2024, but still was not the superstar the Padres were expecting him to be when he first joined the team. He slashed .263/.328/.391, good for an OPS+ of 99. It’s the second straight year for Bogaerts posting an OPS+ below 100, which is definitely not what San Diego envisions when they signed him. He did manage 2.0 bWAR, which was mostly due to his above-average defense at shortstop. It appears that sliding Bogaerts back to shortstop was the right call for the Padres. 

Jake Cronenworth: B-
Cronenworth had a solid year for the Padres, bouncing back after down seasons in 2023 and 2024. He put up an OPS+ of 108, his best mark since 2022 when he was an All-Star. Cronenworth is probably never going to replicate the 4.8 bWAR he produced in 2021 during his breakout year. Still, he is definitely capable of being a 3-WAR player, and he was playing at that pace for most of the season. He was worth 2.4 bWAR in 135 games. Cronenworth’s power numbers did take a hit, as he posted a career-low .377 slugging percentage. However, the underlying numbers appear fine, with his barrel rate of 6.2% just slightly below his career average of 6.6%. His hard-hit rate actually improved to 39%, his best since 2020 when he posted a 42.7% hard-hit rate as a rookie. 

Jose Iglesias: F
Iglesias was simply bad in 2025, and it’s baffling the Padres kept him around for as long as they did. He was worth -0.7 bWAR, but despite that, San Diego gave him 112 games and 343 plate appearances. He posted a career-low 66 OPS+, and the underlying numbers were awful across the board. His average exit velocity of 84 MPH ranked in the 1st percentile among the MLB, and his 2% barrel rate ranked in the 4th percentile. His defense was no longer what it once was. 

Ryan O'Hearn: B
The Padres' big acquisition at the trade deadline was All-Star first baseman and DH Ryan O’Hearn. O’Hearn was solid at the plate for the Padres, although his numbers did take a dip from his time in Baltimore. He was rocking a 136 OPS+ with the Orioles, but in San Diego, that fell to 105. Still, he did what he was asked to do, being an above-average bat in a Padres lineup that needed upgrades. 

Mason McCoy: F
McCoy was called up to play a utility role and fill in when Xander Bogaerts went down with an injury. McCoy struggled in his 18 games with the big league club. He hit .136 and finished with an OPS+ of .29. While it’s unfair to judge McCoy for his struggles, it’s at least worth pointing out. The Padres need better depth pieces in 2026. 

Will Wagner: F
Wagner, if it’s possible, was even less productive than McCoy in his 15-game stretch with the Padres. In 17 plate appearances, he managed just two singles and two walks. He finished the year with an OPS+ of 6.