Has Manny Machado Passed Dave Winfield As The Second-Greatest Padre Ever?

After having played just six seasons and change in a Padres uniform, Manny Machado has a serious argument for being a top two player in San Diego Padres history. He recorded his 2,000th hit in Major League Baseball earlier in July and seems to be on his way to Cooperstown after he hangs up the cleats. When he does decide to retire, there is a very good chance he will be in possession of numerous franchise records.

Tony Gwynn is clearly at the top of the list of Padres all-time greats, and nobody is saying otherwise. He towers over everyone else in the history of the franchise, so much so that he more than doubles the second-place players in WAR, runs scored, hits, total bases, extra base hits, and singles. Gwynn has the moniker “Mr. Padre” for a reason.

With Gwynn far and away the consensus pick for the king of the hill, Machado has an argument to be in the next two spots. 

Since signing with the Padres before the 2019 season, Machado has recorded 964 hits, 186 home runs, 599 RBI, and 530 runs scored. His production with the bat has been good for an .837 OPS. With those numbers, he currently sits at fifth-most hits as a Padre, third-most runs, most home runs, third-most RBI, and fifth-highest OPS.

Many people view Dave Winfield as the second-best player in Padres franchise history. Winfield spent seven seasons in a Padres uniform, and he put up pretty impressive numbers. Over seasons in San Diego, he recorded 1,134 hits, 154 home runs, 626 RBI, and 515 runs scored. That production gives him the third-most hits in Padres history, fifth-most home runs, and second-most RBI and runs scored.

Although Winfield was a little more productive in a Padres uniform, Machado has not spent as much time with the team as Winfield did. Despite having played a season and a half less, Machado is not very far behind Winfield in the metrics listed above, except for home runs, where Machado has a good amount more than Winfield.

Trevor Hoffman is another Padres legend, widely regarded as one of the best in the franchise's history, and his accomplishments in San Diego are truly impressive. He pitched out of the Padres' bullpen for 16 seasons, tossing 952 ⅔ innings over 902 games and posting a 2.76 ERA. The consensus best Padres relief pitcher was dominant, earning six All-Star selections and two National League saves titles.

Although Hoffman has a very impressive Padres resume, his role as a closer limits how important he could be to his team. The math behind his innings pitched and games played suggests he averaged just over three outs per appearance. That limited usage makes it very difficult to place him above Machado in the Padres ' all-time rankings.

With Tony Gwynn’s status virtually cemented as the top dog in Padres history, Manny Machado has what is probably the strongest case for the title as second-best. Between his on-field production and the impact he has had on the Padres as a franchise, it is difficult to refute that he has played a big role in the transformation of the franchise into what it is today. 

Machado’s impact on the Padres franchise has been more than just his production on the field. He was the first big-name free agent to choose the Padres in free agency. This significantly changed how players and fans viewed the Padres, shifting from a team where veterans often left following their prime years to an attractive franchise for big-name players to sign with in free agency.

Bringing in Machado shifted the narrative for how the Padres made decisions as a franchise, putting them in the mindset to make big moves and try to compete for World Series titles.

Not too long after bringing in Machado, the team saw the emergence of Fernando Tatis Jr. as a young star in baseball. After two very impressive seasons from Tatis Jr., the Padres signed the young star to a massive contract extension for 14 years and $340 million.

If Machado never signed in San Diego, it is very possible that Tatis Jr.’s time in a Padres uniform would play out similarly to that of Adrian Gonzalez, a young player (and native San Diegan) who had very good seasons in San Diego but ultimately ended up getting shipped out because the team did not want to pay him what he was worth.

Similarly, the big contracts that were given to Xander Bogaerts, Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill very likely never would have happened if Machado had never put pen to paper in San Diego.

Passing Gwynn may not be possible, but with many years remaining on his contract, Machado has a very good chance to cement himself as the consensus second-best player in Padres history.