In just two offseasons, the San Diego Padres corner infielders changed from Wil Myers and Ryan Schimpf to Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado. Hosmer and Machado each broke the franchise’s contract record with $144M for eight years and $300M for 10 years, respectively.
First baseman Hosmer and third baseman Machado made most starts at their respective positions, but Machado moved to shortstop for a month and a half when young star Fernando Tatis Jr. was placed on the injured list.
Here are the top corner infielders from the 2019 season:
Ty France
Ty France came into spring training fighting for a spot on the big league roster. He didn’t crack the Opening Day roster but was called up and made his debut at the end of April. During two stints with San Diego that spanned over 69 games, France hit .300/.417/.600 (1.017 OPS) and had a 1.017 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position (RISP).
His best 30 days came in the final month of the season where he hit .259 as he mashed five homers, batted in 12 runs and hit a pair of doubles for a .907 OPS.
However, every rookie season comes with its downfalls. France hit for just a .188 batting average and held a .485 OPS in the month of August.
France also hit .178/.221/.300 (.521 OPS) with the team behind and .167/.262/.222 (.484 OPS) in late and close games.
The San Diego State graduate was selected in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft and surely surpassed expectations after being drafted so late and made his debut within four years. France’s rookie status will go into the 2020 season and he’ll try to fight for playing spot and a spot on the big league roster with Spring Training.
Grade: B
Eric Hosmer
Two offseasons ago, the Padres signed first baseman Eric Hosmer to the largest contract in franchise history. In 2018, Hosmer struggled to live up to expectations in the first season of his seven-year deal. Nonetheless, he looked more like himself in 2019 with 19 more totals bases and 30 more RBIs than his first year.
Hosmer looked like his former self with a .287/.336/.447 slash line in the first half, driven by a .314/.376/.495 June. He hit four homers, 27 RBIs and five doubles in 26 games in June.
In the first half, Hosmer was as clutch as almost any player with a .373 batting average with two outs and RISP, but he cooled down in the second half with a .163/.221/.250 slash line in late and close games.
Hosmer’s worst month came in September with just two roundtrippers and .170 batting average in 26 games. His .516 OPS that month was the lowest of his career since July 2018.
Hosmer’s comeback from the worst season of his career was optimistic, and Hosmer will try to become the first baseman that is needed in San Diego as they chase the playoffs.
Grade: C+
Manny Machado
Manny Machado, the $300 million man, had a disappointing season considering his huge contract, but he brought much needed leadership and experience for one of the youngest teams in the league.
Machado hit for a .289 BA and .882 OPS on the road with a 1.004 OPS with two outs and RISP. His best month came in June when he hit .314/.368/.695 (1.064 OPS) with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs and 18 extra-base hits.
However, Machado did not meet the lofty expectations made by Padres fans as he struck out a career-high 128 times and finished with a .256 batting average, the lowest of his eight-year career. He also led the National League in double plays (24) and hit .207 in late-and-close games.
His worst season came in August when he hit just .221 with a .626 OPS. Machado hit only two home runs with eight RBIs.
While his first season in San Diego was not as expected, he made huge improvements to the team in his quality of play and leadership. He will almost certainly make a huge improvement in 2020 as the Padres open the door to postseason contention for the first time since that door closed after the 2010 season.
Grade: C