San Diego Padres designated hitter Luke Voit has played alongside plenty of perennial All-Stars over his career so far, including New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Still, he sees that Manny Machado is the clear-cut best player he has tagged along with.

“I've obviously played with some great guys in St. Louis and New York, but he's definitely the best player I've played with,” Voit said after the Padres' victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. “I'd say him and Aaron Judge are two of the best players obviously in the game.”

Machado once again bolstered his resume for the 2022 National League MVP Award during the Padres’ 19-5 win against the Cubs. The veteran third baseman recorded a trio of hits that upped his batting average on the season to a .322 mark. He also logged four RBI on the day, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

As it stands, Machado ranks in the top five in numerous National League stats, from total hits (77) to runs scored (46).

In the big picture, one could make a formidable case that Machado’s ongoing campaign is more proficient than each of Judge's last four seasons, which Voit had a front-row seat to watch. Judge’s high in wRC+ over the last four years was a 148 in the 2021 campaign, while Machado currently boasts a 160 wRC+ this year.

With the way that the Yankees and Padres have been churning out convincing wins as of late, one can not count out the possibility of the two teams meeting each other in the World Series later this year.