"I'm not looking for Luis Arraez in top 5" - Padres veteran identifies what Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. must do for San Diego’s success

Former Padres relief pitcher Heath Bell recently put the burden of the team's hopes for success on Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Having lost key players in the off-season, Bell believes either Machado or Tatis Jr. has to be the best or second-best player in the National League.

Bell played five seasons for the San Diego Padres with three All-Star selections. Having begun his MLB career with the New York Mets, the 47-year-old also played for the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays.

The three-time All-Star disclosed his expectations from Machado and Tatis Jr. during Friday's episode of "Friar Territory: A San Diego Padres Podcast with Kyle Glaser."

"I feel like we need Machado or Tatis to have an MVP season for us to do really anything this year," said Bell (50:25). "You know, we're going to be that team that's kind of like, 'Are we there? Are we not there? Can we get streaky at the end?'

"But I really feel like it would be nice if we could have an MVP player on the team and us do really well. I feel like that will get us over the hump."

The veteran mentioned that Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have already shown their potential. However, he pointed out that they need to stay healthy throughout the season to have an MVP-caliber campaign in 2025. Interestingly, the 47-year-old isn't banking on any other Padres players.

"I really feel like Machado or Tatis, if they can have an MVP season and possibly be number one or number two in the voting, you know, I'm not looking for Arraez in the top five or top 10. I mean, like, you're number one or number two, and it just went to the other guy for stupid reasons or something like that," Bell added (51:30).

Manny Machado's best finish in MVP voting was second in 2022. The 32-year-old has also finished third, fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, Tatis Jr.'s best finish was third in 2021. He was fourth the previous year.

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MLB analyst highlights Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.'s impressive seasons

Even though the Dodgers defeated the Yankees to win the World Series, they have been open about the Padres being their toughest test in the regular season and postseason. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. were a big threat for the Dodgers during the NLDS which they clawed back to win 3-2.

In the aforementioned podcast, MLB analyst Kyle Glaser agreed with Keith Bell's assertion that Machado or Tatis Jr. need to be in MVP conversation to attain success, expressing confidence in them.

"Manny Machado, of course, was the MVP runner-up to Paul Goldschmidt a few years ago. As for Tatis, when he has been healthy which, in fairness, has not been very frequent, but when he has been healthy and able to put up close to a full season, he's been there.

"He was third in MVP voting back in 2021, and that was only playing 130 games," Glaser said [52:53].

The analyst also noted Tatis Jr. hitting over 40 home runs despite playing 130 games. Therefore, he believes the Padres have a higher ceiling if all goes to plan in the 2025 season.