Manny Machado is the new Padres HR king

Manny Machado is now the San Diego Padres' franchise home run king.

Photo byUSA Today Sports

Let’s make one thing very clear. Soon, be it 10 or 15 years from now, the number 13 will join numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42, and 51 in Padres immortality.

Manny Machado just checked off a box that has been unchecked for half of a century now. He has 164 home runs in a Padres uniform. He is the only one in history who can say that.

After so many close calls, it finally happened. Adrian Gonzalez fell two dingers shy before leaving town and is now more known as a Dodger. Phil Nevin might have done it had early-years Petco Park not torpedoed his power abilities and sucked his desire to play for them. He fell seven shy.

The wait is finally over. Nate Colbert is no longer the Padres’ franchise home run leader. He retired before the Star Wars franchise even existed. Now, 50 years and a dozen or so Star Wars movies later, the Padres have a new king.

Manny Machado launched a ball deep over the centerfield wall at T-Mobile Park on a moist Tuesday evening in Seattle. When the ball disappeared over that fence, it was a new Padres record.

Since coming to San Diego in 2019, Manny Machado has been one of the best players in baseball. When he signed his 10-year, $300 million deal in 2019, it was briefly the largest contract in North American professional sports history. Quite a splash for a "small market" team like the Padres. That set in motion something of a golden era for San Diego baseball. Since Machado came to town, the Padres have made the playoffs twice, including a run to the NLCS in 2022.

Along with being the franchise leader in home runs, Machado also ranks third all-time in WAR, just behind Dave Winfield and Tony Gwynn. He may end up finishing his career as the second-best hitter in franchise history after Mr. Padre himself.

Machado is now going to be a Padre for at least another nine seasons. What heights can Machado reach in a Padres uniform? He is tracking for a Hall of Fame career.

The real question might be, just how many will Machado hit in the brown and gold? And even, can Fernando Tatis Jr. catch him?