The battle between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West crown is still far from over.
Both teams are guaranteed to make it to the postseason, but the seeding is still yet to be determined in the final week of the MLB regular season.
And even in the midst of the heated rivalry between the two teams, one of the rivalry's most polarizing figures, Padres third baseman Manny Machado, still has some lightheartedness inside for one Dodgers player in particular.
Machado Spoke Highly of Dodgers Pitcher Clayton Kershaw
Earlier in the month, legendary Dodgers southpaw pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced that he would be hanging up the cleats after a surefire Cooperstown-worthy career that saw him win three NL Cy Young Awards as well as the 2014 NL MVP award.
And in an interview with The Sporting Tribune, Machado had nothing but respect for the future Hall of Famer.
“We’re losing a legend and he’s leaving on top,” Machado said on Kershaw's decision. “It’s awesome to have been able to wear the same uniform as him, play behind him. To see it firsthand and hit a couple of homers off of a legend is pretty cool as well.”
And with both teams competing in the postseason, the former Dodger is hoping for a rematch with the legend soon.
"He's one of the best competitors that this game has ever seen, like I told him, wishing him nothing but the best, and hopefully our paths cross once again."
Machado is batting .273 with 26 home runs and 93 runs batted in, his typical MVP-level production in 2025.