The San Diego Padres are one of the hottest, most exciting teams in Major League Baseball. Join the Friar Faithful before it’s too late.
The San Diego Padres, an organization long in rebuilding mode. Living in the shadow of the perpetually competitive Los Angeles Dodgers. Slowly building the stockpile of young talent that graces the field today.
There has never been a better time to join the Padres bandwagon.
The young guns have arrived. The superstars have been signed. And the process is finally starting to pay off after nine consecutive losing seasons. Currently sitting at 10-7, just a game and a half out of the division lead, the Padres are primed to take advantage of a short season with expanded playoffs and make some noise in October.
Still need convincing? Here are the indisputable facts that will make you a Padres fan by the end of this article.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is an electric factory
This shouldn’t come as news to anyone. Fernando Tatis Jr. lit the west coast on fire in his rookie campaign for the Padres. He emerged as the first sign that the Friars were about to take the next step from rebuilding to contending. Slashing .317/.379/.590 in 84 games, he gave a long suffering fanbase their first glimpse of hope for the future.
Of course, Tatis Jr. brought a lot of swagger with him. A five tool player with a penchant for dramatics, he dazzled fans at the plate, in the field and on the bases. Had injuries not shortened his season, he likely would have stolen the National League Rookie of the Year award from Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
And Tatis Jr. is at it again to kick off 2020. He currently leads the National League in home runs, and is slashing .328/.408/.776 for an OPS of a whopping 1.184. And obviously, he’s doing it with his trademark style.
But Fernando Tatis Jr. is the obvious choice for most exciting part of the 2020 Padres. There are plenty of others to get excited about.
Jake Cronenworth from out of left field
Show me the person who said they were excited to watch Jake Cronenworth in 2020, and I will show you a liar.
This kid came out of absolutely nowhere. He stepped up in Eric Hosmer’s absence. He’s been fantastic defensively, and his work at the plate came as a complete surprise. He’s slashing .344/.364/.750 and has forced his way into the everyday lineup playing a variety of defensive positions.
Now, all Cronenworth has to prove is that this hot streak is sustainable. It’s unlikely he’ll continue hitting at this insane clip, but he’s clearly identified himself as a major contributor on a rising team.
Manny Machado is still a superstar
Sure, Manny Machado’s first season in brown and gold was disappointing. After the organization shelled out $300 million over ten years, fans expected more than a .256/.334/.462 slash line.
But make no mistake, Machado is still a superstar. He plays nearly every day, his presence in the lineup is undeniable, and his defense isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With more offensive weapons on the roster, he should see more pitches to hit and be a lot more productive this season.
Machado is just starting to get it going in 2020. He’s recorded a hit in each of his last three games, including two long balls against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Obviously, he still has a lot to prove to the San Diego fanbase. But his talent is undeniable. He’ll be a staple in the middle of the lineup for years to come.
The starting rotation coming into its own
The success of the starting rotation should come as no surprise to anyone. Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet, Garrett Richards and Zach Davies have all been fantastic. In fact, Lamet even flirted with a no hitter in his last start.
Of that core, Richards is the only pitcher over the age of 30. And should he enter his career decline, Luis Patino and MacKenzie Gore are waiting in the wings.
A future rotation of Paddack, Lamet, Davies, Patino and Gore has the potential to be the strongest in the league. Of course, there are still question marks with the unproven commodities of Patino and Gore, but the writing is on the wall. A young, exciting pitching core exists in San Diego.
The rest of the offense
General Manager A.J. Preller has made some fantastic moves to improve the offense around Tatis Jr., Machado and Hosmer. He brought in Tommy Pham from the Tampa Bay Rays and Trent Grisham from the Milwaukee Brewers and both have been fantastic to start the season.
They’ve also gotten key contributions from the bottom of the order. Edward Olivares started the year hot. Wil Myers is finally starting to live up to his potential. And Ty France has been solid at the plate in his limited playing time.
The perpetual catcher debate
Obviously, no exciting team would be worth following if there wasn’t something to debate on Twitter. Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejia provide that debate.
The fact of the matter is, neither one is a great hitter. Both make their living behind the plate, not at it. So to get in on this debate, you’re going to need to take a deep dive into pitch framing and Defensive Runs Saved.
So far in a small sample size, Mejia has the upper hand defensively. But it could be argued that Hedges calls a better game. Either way, fans are going to side with the catcher that keeps the lineup flipping rather than the one who provides the slight defensive edge. We don’t know who that will be just yet, but the first one to get on a hot streak will find themselves getting more playing time down the stretch.
The bottom line
The bottom line is that joining the Padres bandwagon now is like buying stock in Microsoft in the 1980s. This is a team on the rise. They have the makings to be a force in the league for years to come. With a strong pitching core, an electric offense, and a fresh manager in Jayce Tingler, this is the team to watch for the next decade.
