The second-winningest season in Padres history has led to offseason hardware.
Third baseman Manny Machado, left fielder Jurickson Profar and center fielder Jackson Merrill were all named National League Silver Slugger Award winners on Tuesday as baseball’s awards season continued.
Profar and Merrill represented the Padres in this year’s All-Star Game; Merrill is one of three finalists for NL Rookie of the Year.
Machado earned his second Silver Slugger after pairing 29 homers and 105 RBIs with a .275/.325/.472 batting line. Machado’s production spiked in the second half as he moved further and further away from his offseason elbow surgery; his OPS jumped from .742 before the All-Star break to .876 over the final 61 games of the season.
Profar’s breakout season saw him hit .280/.380/.459 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs to become a first-time All-Star at age 31.
The 21-year-old Merrill hit .292/.326/.500 with 24 homers and 90 RBIs to put himself in serious consideration for NL Rookie of the Year, which will be announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America next week.
Silver Slugger Awards honor each league’s best offensive player at each position, with a manager and three coaches from each team voting for the winners.
The Padres’ three Silver Sluggers winners are the franchise’s most since 2022, when Juan Soto, Brandon Drury and Josh Bell — all of whom were acquired at the trade deadline — were honored. Soto won a Silver Slugger in 2023 following his final season with the Padres.
Machado won his first Silver Slugger in 2020 alongside teammate Fernando Tatis Jr.; Tatis was also honored in 2021. Before 2020, the Padres’ last Silver Slugger winner was Chase Headley in 2012.
