Padres Named Biggest Surprise of May by MLB Analyst

Despite having a fairly difficult schedule over the last few weeks, the San Diego Padres were able to stay afloat, keeping themselves within striking distance in the National League West standings.

The Padres are further back due to a recent losing stretch, now sitting six games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division. But the team has been able to keep itself alive, with a long way to go until the playoff bracket is decided.

San Diego has been able to continue winning games despite the offense being very inconsistent from game to game. The Padres have also seen both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado struggle at the plate, leading to the offensive issues.

Due to the Padres' ability to remain afloat this year, MLB analyst Dontrelle Willis of FOX Sports named them the surprise team of May.

"For me, it’s the San Diego Padres," Willis said when asked the biggest surprise of the month. "Fernando Tatis hit his first home run a few days ago and Manny Machado is hitting .170. You would think if that happened, they’d be 10 games out of it right now. If the season ended, they’re in the postseason."

Currently, the Padres own a record of 32-27 on the year, and they would be in the playoffs if they started right now. This team has exceeded expectations all year long, and if the two stars can get themselves going at the plate, the Padres could be a serious contender.

The Padres were carried early in the year by Xander Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar, and have received consistent contributions from slugger Gavin Sheets. But the strong bullpen that the front office built has kept this team going while the starting rotation has been better than expected.

San Diego played series against the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Dodgers, Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals in May. Each of these teams holds a winning record, and the Padres were able to make it through the tough stretch of games.

"The supporting cast has been absolutely phenomenal and that’s what’s scary about the San Diego Padres," Willis said. "If they get two of those horses [Tatis and Machado] going in the right direction, it’s going to be scary hours in the West."

While the odds for the Padres to actually get to the postseason remain low, especially if the offensive problems persist, this team has shown that there is no quit in them. The goal is to win the World Series, and if San Diego can get into the dance, anything is possible for this team.

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