After a thrilling series win at Petco Park this week, the Padres are now 3-3 against the Cubs this season -- and 12-1 against the rest of the league. It’s only mid-April, but that season series is now over. They won’t face the Cubs again until, at the earliest, October. Here are six Padres takeaways from this week’s three-game set between the two NL contenders: 1. This version of Fernando Tatis Jr. could win MVP It's not the home runs. We knew those were coming. It's not the steals or the elite defense. If Tatis was healthy, that was always coming, too. It's the strides Tatis has seemingly made in his plate discipline. His whiff rate is down. His strikeout rate is down. His walk rate is up. Tatis is forcing pitchers into the strike zone so far this season. If he continues doing that, he’ll continue seeing results like these: Through 18 games, Tatis has six home runs, while hitting .348 with a 1.048 OPS. Combine that with the elite defense and baserunning, and that’s an MVP pace. |
2. There are questions at the bottom of the lineup There’s some merit to the idea that the bottom of the Padres’ lineup doesn’t need to produce much. The top half of the order is one of the best in baseball. The pitching staff looks like one of the best in baseball. If the bottom third can defend and provide occasional offense, that should be enough. Thus far, they’ve met that bar. But with injuries piling up in the top half of the lineup, the Padres suddenly might need a bit more from their role players. They’ll take the current level of production they’re getting at catcher (given the demands at the position). Gavin Sheets has emerged as a force (and a fan favorite). Tyler Wade had a huge game on Wednesday. But a few other bottom-of-the-order players, namely Yuli Gurriel and Jason Heyward, must contribute. |
3. As the Padres get healthier, they're going to face tough decisions Speaking of those role players ... Gurriel, for instance, made the roster over two other righty-hitting options in Oscar Gonzalez and Connor Joe. Now all three are with the club. So is the lefty-hitting Wade, who was recently selected and could take playing time from Heyward. In the meantime, Jackson Merrill did light running drills before Wednesday’s game. Jake Cronenworth did light defensive work. There's still no timetable for either. But when they get healthy and return to the roster, the Padres will face the same questions they faced during Spring Training regarding the composition of their bench. |
4. Randy Vásquez could be blossoming into a weapon The Padres saw their 11-game season-opening home winning streak snapped on Tuesday. But the most notable development might’ve been more excellent work from Vásquez. A year ago, Vásquez was up-and-down between Triple-A El Paso and the Majors. He was a fill-in piece. An important fill-in piece, as it turned out. But he never found a rhythm with the big league club. This year, he has. And the Padres might have something here. Vásquez has posted a 1.74 ERA, and he’s done an excellent job limiting slug and hard contact. With Joe Musgrove out for the season and Yu Darvish on the IL, Vásquez’s emergence has been one of the most crucial storylines of the young season. |
5. The Jose Iglesias signing has proven a shrewd one “But where does he fit?” Some version of that question was asked in early March after the Padres signed Iglesias. As is usually the case, that question resolved itself quickly. The Padres had a full infield for two weeks, and little playing time available for Iglesias. Then Cronenworth landed on the IL, and now Iglesias is filling in seamlessly at second base. He’s also able to move around the diamond, bringing his excellent glove to short and third when needed. Let’s not forget, the Padres lost one of the best defenders in baseball when Ha-Seong Kim left for Tampa Bay. When they signed Iglesias, a team evaluator put it to me that the Padres wanted to maintain the defensive identity they’d established in 2024. Seems to me they’ve done exactly that by signing Iglesias. |
6. Petco Park is a party, daily Game 1 of the Cubs series was something else. More than 47,000 fans on a Monday night in April. And as the Padres began their comeback, that crowd seemed to lift them. “Our play is equaling the crowd, the crowd is equaling our play -- I don’t know which way you want to look at it,” said manager Mike Shildt. “You’re talking about a Monday night, and this place is jammed and rocking. It means a ton.” The home winning streak may be over. The home-field advantage, I expect, will remain alive and well throughout the summer. |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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In the franchise's inaugural game against the Astros in 1969, which player recorded the Padres' first hit, run and home run in a single swing? A. Ollie Brown B. Nate Colbert C. Cito Gaston D. Ed Spiezio |
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‘WHAT DOES 42 MEAN TO YOU?’ |
Heyward narrated a moving tribute to Jackie Robinson for Tuesday’s celebration of Jackie Robinson Day. You can watch that here. The Padres celebrated Jackie Robinson Day by presenting 10 Johnny Ritchey Breaking Barriers Scholarships to local high school seniors “who have overcome obstacles in their young lives in their pursuit of higher education.” The scholarships honor Ritchey, who broke the Pacific Coast League color barrier with the Padres in 1948 a year after Robinson broke through in the big leagues. |
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PADRES.TV is back for the 2025 season, allowing fans to stream regular-season games in the San Diego area without blackouts. (That offer -- available now for $99.99 -- is only for fans in the Padres’ home TV territory and a separate service from the MLB.TV out-of-market package.) |
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D. Spiezio went deep against Astros righty Don Wilson in a 2-1 Padres victory. |
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