Manny Machado Credits 'Special' Group of Padres Players This Season

Eva Geitheim | Oct 13, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres fell short of a trip to the National League Championship Series on Friday as they lost Game 5 of the NL Division Series 2-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The loss abruptly brought the Padres' season to an end, eliminating San Diego from the postseason.

While the Padres were entering a win or go home game, they previously held a 2-1 lead in the series. At that point, with their lineup on fire, the Padres appeared primed for a deeper postseason run.

While the Padres disappointingly headed home following Friday's loss, they still put in a strong season. The Padres did not have expectations of making the postseason or going toe-to-toe with the No. 1 seed in the NL coming into the 2024 season but managed to do just that. The Padres finished as the top wildcard team in the NL and surpassed expectations.

A key reason for the Padres success this season — the bond between the team.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado called this Padres' team a "special group," and noted that the team has created a family-like atmosphere.

“We worked as a group all year to [create] a family here,” said Manny Machado, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “I don’t think I’ve been part of a team that’s been as tight as this one. It’s a special group that we had.”

Multiple other players echoed the notion that the Padres' truly developed a family between the team.

“I think I found a deeper love for baseball," rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill said. "I really didn’t know the extent of how electric it can be and how much of a family you can build through an entire summer of it.”

“This is the closest group I’ve ever played with,” said Jake Cronenworth, via Cassavell. “It’s the closest thing to a family outside of our own. I think that’s why it hurts so bad.”

The team will ultimately change next season as some players inevitably leave and others join the team, but the Padres will likely try to re-create the same family atmosphere in 2025 to attempt to further their success.

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