“I don’t like it… I won’t use it.”
Days later, Manny Machado did exactly the opposite.
Manny Machado didn’t just change his mind.
He reversed course — publicly, visibly, and at a moment when the San Diego Padres needed it most.
Just weeks ago, the Padres superstar made his stance crystal clear on MLB’s new ABS Challenge System:
“I don’t like it.”
“I won’t be that guy.”
It was blunt. Confident. Final.
Or so it seemed.
Because once the season began… everything changed.
In the fourth game of 2026, Machado did something no one expected — he challenged a pitch.
And just like that, the narrative flipped.
The same player who dismissed the system was now using it. Not recklessly, not frequently — but strategically. Carefully.
“I’ll challenge the obvious ones,” Machado explained.
But the message was clear:
He’s in.
And the timing couldn’t be more telling.
Because the Padres are struggling.
Through their first eight games, San Diego sits at 3-5 — and the offense has been alarmingly quiet. They’ve scored more than three runs just once. At Fenway Park, they managed only five total runs across a series.
For a lineup built on star power?
That’s a problem.
And when production drops, every small edge matters.
Even one pitch.
Even one challenge.
That’s where the ABS system enters the spotlight.
Originally viewed as a distraction — another layer of complexity in an already difficult game — it’s now becoming a tool the Padres can’t afford to ignore.
And Machado knows it.
Because while he once resisted the idea, reality is forcing adaptation.
Baseball is evolving.
And so is he.
Inside the clubhouse, the tone remains surprisingly calm. Despite the slow start, Machado insists there’s no panic — only patience.
“Not frustrating at all,” he said. “We’re having good at-bats. We’re hitting the ball hard… it’s just not falling.”
Jake Cronenworth backed him up, reinforcing the same belief:
The process is working.
The results just aren’t.
Yet.
But there’s a growing sense that execution — not effort — is the difference between losing and winning right now.
And that brings us back to one critical moment.
Fernando Tatis Jr.
In a late-game situation against the Giants, with the Padres trailing and a runner on base, Tatis took a pitch that appeared high. The team had a challenge available.
He didn’t use it.
Strike two.
Moments later, he struck out.
Then Machado grounded out.
And suddenly, a potential rally evaporated.
What followed made the situation even more painful — Jackson Merrill launched a two-run home run that could have been a game-tying three-run shot… if Tatis had reached base.
One decision.
One missed opportunity.
One moment that changed everything.
Manager Craig Stammen didn’t ignore it.
He acknowledged it.
And he made it clear:
The Padres need to be more aggressive.
Especially when the game is on the line.
Because unlike traditional strategy, ABS challenges don’t carry over. There’s no reward for saving them. No benefit in holding back.
Use them.
Or lose them.
That reality is reshaping how the Padres think — and how players like Machado are responding.
This isn’t just about one system.
It’s about adaptation.
Machado’s shift represents something bigger than a single challenge. It shows a veteran recognizing that even the smallest adjustments can influence outcomes — especially for a team searching for momentum.
Because right now, the Padres aren’t far off.
They’re hitting the ball hard.
They’re creating chances.
They’re competing.
But they’re not finishing.
And sometimes…
The difference between winning and losing isn’t talent.
It’s timing.
It’s decisions.
It’s moments like these.
Manny Machado didn’t just backtrack.
He adjusted.
And in a season already testing San Diego’s patience, that willingness to evolve might be exactly what this team needs.
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