Manny Machado had some words for the All-Star voters on Monday.
The Padres star has been far from regular this year, posting a 92 OPS+ in 68 games. In comparison, his teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. he has been nothing short of outstanding since returning from an MLB suspension. The right fielder turned shortstop has produced at an elite level through the first half of the season.
Tatis entered Monday second on the Friars in fWAR (3.2), behind only Juan Soto. His 136 wRC+ was also second on the team. And his defense, long seen as a stick to beat him with, has been brilliant; he’s in the 95th percentile in strikeouts above average.
All of that and an .867 OPS puts him in elite company among MLB corner outfielders. And yet Tatis, 24, was left off the 2023 NL All-Star Game roster by fans, players and the commissioner’s office.
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That didn’t sit well with Machado. The San Diego third baseman called out the voters for not putting that talent in the midsummer classic. More specifically, he hinted that off-field motives played a role.
“I don’t know, that’s BS that’s not there,” Machado told reporters before the Padres’ game against the Angels at Petco Park. “But we all know there’s politics in this. It’s not the right thing to do.”
“It’s BS that’s not there, but we all know there’s politics in this. It’s not the right thing to do.”
Here’s what Manny Machado had to say about Fernando Tatis Jr. who was left off the National League All-Star team. pic.twitter.com/4vVZh1s7wJ
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) July 4, 2023
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The “politics” that Machado refers to are probably the controversies that have surrounded Tatis.
Tatis’ follow-up to a third-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2021 was nonexistent in 2022. He missed the first half of the season after injuring his shoulder in an offseason motorcycle accident, and then was suspended 80 MLB games for PEDs. It was a major black mark for one of baseball’s brightest talents. Tatis made his debut for the 2023 season on April 20 after being reinstated.
Machado believes people haven’t embraced Tatis the way they should.
“He paid his dues, he did what he had to do last year,” Machado said. “As far as him going out and playing and performing every day, he’s been up to it, he’s overcome it and he’s put the team on his back for the first time.”
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Tatis could have easily outplayed the Phillies’ Nick Castellanos or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Diamondbacks, both chasing Tatis in WAR. The voters decided otherwise.
Now, he won’t get a chance to share the field with other MLB superstars in Seattle unless he’s called up as an injury replacement. His superstar teammate wasn’t too happy about that.
