"We want to get back to where we were" - Padres Manny Machado embraces winning mindset after disastrous 2023 season

The San Diego Padres are moving forward in the 2024 season with a winning outlook aiming for the World Championship. Last year was a disappointment for the team and they are aiming to bounce back from the setback.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado talked about the goals for the upcoming season while also discussing the team’s rebound after a tough 2023 season.

“Baseball is all about winning, we want to win. You know our goal every year to make it a championship, make it to the World Series and when that goal isn't reached like it's a disappointment,” Manny Machado said (via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM).

“So last year was rough and you know, as a team we came back this year hungrier than ever. And you know, we know that we had the opportunity to do something special last year and we kind of, you know, did it.”

The Padres finished the 2023 season with an 82 wins, 80 losses record. The franchise did show a strong performance but it was too late to secure a playoff spot.

“So this year we want to do it. We want to get back to where we were and we know we're capable of doing that with the team we have and especially with the guys that we came in,” Machado added.

The club’s performance in the final month of the season showed its promising potential, but they missed the playoffs by two games. They won their last game against the Chicago White Sox 2-1 in 11 innings in the 2023 season.

Manny Machado expresses the Padres’ ambition to become a ‘top caliber’ team

The San Diego Padres third baseman expressed confidence in the team’s performance for the upcoming season, noting that the group feels more connected.

“I think this group has been more connected than I've ever been a part of this organization… We're going to go out there and pick some good baseball this year,” said Manny Machado (via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM). “That's just the edge we have we want to get back to being that top-caliber team that will be able to compete at the highest level.”

Although the Padres haven’t had much of a history of World Series appearances, they have seen an improvement in recent years with entries into the playoffs as wild-card teams in 2020 and 2022.