San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado said Major League Baseball relies too heavily on analytics and should reduce its use of statistics.
Machado's comments highlight a growing tension between veteran players and the data-driven approach that now governs almost every aspect of professional baseball. While teams use these metrics to optimize performance, some players feel the mathematical approach ignores the intuitive nature of the game.
Speaking during an appearance with former pitcher CC Sabathia and host Ahmed Fareed, Machado said there are too many stats in modern baseball [1].
Machado expressed a desire for the league to move away from this dependency. "We gotta get rid of them," he said [2].
The timing of the critique coincides with a difficult stretch for the infielder. His frustration appears to be fueled by a recent slump and a slow start to the season [3].
Baseball has seen a massive shift toward "Sabermetrics" over the last two decades. Teams now prioritize exit velocity, launch angle, and expected batting average to evaluate a player's value—often over traditional stats like home runs or batting average. This shift has changed how players are coached and how they are evaluated by front offices.
Machado did not specify which particular metrics he finds most problematic, but his call for a reduction in data usage reflects a sentiment shared by several traditionalists in the game. The debate continues as teams struggle to balance the precision of data with the psychological and physical realities of the athletes on the field.
“"There are too many stats in modern baseball."”
This critique represents the ongoing friction between the 'eye test' and 'big data' in professional sports. When high-profile stars like Machado push back against analytics, it suggests that the psychological pressure of being measured by infinite data points may contribute to player frustration during performance dips.
