Is Machado no longer elite? Has Vlad Jr. lost his ...
Key takeaways
- Indeed, one of the unfortunate storylines through the first two-plus months of the season is the number of big stars who aren't putting up their usual numbers.
- Let's dig into some of those players and a few clubs with teamwide issues.
- After his average dropped to .175 (it would eventually fall as low as .166) last weekend, Manny Machado seemed to blame "analytics" for his bad start.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Is Manny Machado no longer an elite hitter? An early verdict on some of MLB's biggest disappointments. Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images David Schoenfield Jun 12, 2026, 07:00 AM ETClose Covers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been with ESPN.com since 1995Multiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions We're more than a third of the way through the 2026 MLB season and closing in on the halfway point, so we're past the point where "small sample size" can be used as the excuse for a slow start. Is "regression to the mean" the case? Perhaps, but apply it carefully.
Indeed, one of the unfortunate storylines through the first two-plus months of the season is the number of big stars who aren't putting up their usual numbers.
Let's dig into some of those players and a few clubs with teamwide issues. We'll make a statement derived from their early performances and then give a verdict on whether that statement is real ... or not.