SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado came up short in the race for the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing as the runner-up.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday afternoon that St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt won the NL MVP. His teammate, third baseman Nolan Arenado, was also an MVP finalist.
This is the second time in three years Machado has come up short as a finalist for the ultimate individual career accolade. He finished in the top five in AL MVP voting twice as a Baltimore Oriole, in 2015 and 2016.
The Padres superstar posted elite hitting stats in the 2022 regular season, finishing with a .298 batting average, 172 hits, 102 RBIs and 32 home runs. Although he was not nominated for a Gold Glove, Machado continued to be a stalwart defender on the hot corner for San Diego.
Machado's bat was crucial for keeping the Padres' season afloat, especially with shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.'s absence from the lineup due to injury and his suspension. Strong batters supplementing the lineup weren't added until the trade deadline in August, when San Diego acquired Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury — all of whom earned a Silver Slugger award.
MVP-winner Goldschmidt flirted with an NL Triple Crown for much of the season, finishing the year with 115 RBIs (2nd in NL), 35 home runs (tied for 5th in NL) all while batting .317 (3rd in NL). He also led the NL in slugging and OPS, at .578 and .981, respectively.
Third baseman Ken Caminiti remains the only Padre to win the NL MVP award, doing so in 1996.
Even without the crown jewel MVP trophy, Machado's list of achievements as a pro ball player remains impressive: six All-Star team selections, two Gold Gloves, a Platinum Glove and a Silver Slugger.
Machado earned seven first-place votes, while Goldschmidt and Arenado had 22 and one, respectively. Machado had 13 second-place votes and seven third-place votes, while Arenado received two second-place votes and 15 third-place votes. Goldschmidt had eight second-place votes and zero third-place votes.
The end of the MLB's award season is rapidly approaching; it concludes when the All-MLB Team is unveiled on MLB Network during Baseball's Winter Meetings in San Diego. Fans can vote online once every 24 hours for the best player at each position through 2 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
