Jun 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon (50) on the mound in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Rival Coach Gives Padres Ultimate Praise: 'Best Bullpen' in MLB

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The San Diego Padres got a major compliment from Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who championed the team's bullpen, which he labeled as the best in MLB.

The Friars completed a key regular season series win, beating the Sox in two out of three games.

The Padres leaned on their bullpen over the past couple of months as the team has gone through injuries to the starting rotation. From long-relief arms to high-leverage pitchers, San Diego has a versatile, deep, and talented pen.

Amid the regular season clash, Cora spoke to the media about the impressive nature of the Padres' bullpen, which sits at the top of many pitching metrics.

“That’s the best bullpen in the big leagues,”Cora said of the Padres’ relievers.

“Amazing. They did a good job adding people, and they’ve been really good throughout. But we had a chance early on to put them away.

"We had a chance against King, and we didn’t cash in. And then you’re gonna go one on one with them, but our guys did an amazing job, too. The bullpen did a great job for us.”

After the Padres beat the Sox 6-2 on Sunday in the series-clinching game, Cora had more praise for the team's relievers and pointed out the dangers of facing a team like San Diego in the playoffs.

“Good fastballs. Good secondary pitches. Aggressive in the zone. Swing-and-miss stuff. Fastballs with hop. Sinkers with horizontal movements,” the Boston manager added.

“They expand with their offspeed pitches. They’re really good.

“Obviously, in October that’s going to be very interesting with the off-days and all that. You’ve got a good bullpen, you can play that game too.”

The Padres' relievers rank at the top in Wins Above Average, while the pitching staff as a whole sits third in ERA, fourth in WHIP, and has allowed the least amount of hits in total.

The unit features Robert Suarez, Adrian Morejon, and Jason Adam, all of whom were All-Stars this season. San Diego also has Mason Miller, the former Athletics closer, as a new addition.

Miller is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in MLB and possess elite stuff at only 26 years old.

With all of the pieces put together, the Padres have an elite bullpen that will be a catalyst for the organization's playoff run.