San Diego Padres News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres: Stock up, stock down

By Michael Carpenter | Last updated 6/28/23

With the second-highest payroll in baseball, the San Diego Padres currently sit in fourth place in the National League West division with a record of 37-42. One of the most disappointing teams of 2023, the Padres were expected to make a playoff run with World Series aspirations. In one of the toughest divisions in baseball, it won't be an easy task to overcome the deficit they find themselves in to begin the season.

Here are the Padres that are trending up and down in 2023.

Stock Up

Fernando Tatis, right field: After slugging 42 home runs in just 130 games in 2021, Tatis missed all of last season healing a broken wrist and serving an 80-game suspension for violation of MLB's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Making his return in 2023 after not playing for over 18 months, Tatis has not skipped a beat. Slashing .280/.348/.533 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases despite missing games, he finds himself leading the team in numerous offensive categories including batting average and home runs.

One of the league's brightest stars before his absence, Tatis is slowly finding himself getting back to his superstar status. With an uphill battle to make the playoffs, Tatis will look to continue his success in 2023.

June XBH leaders

1. Shohei Ohtani - 20
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. - 18
3. Corey Seager - 17 pic.twitter.com/xsCIiIbqj4
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) June 27, 2023

Josh Hader, pitcher: Hader was far from being one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball during a nightmare 2022 campaign. Traded to San Diego during the season, Hader finished with a 2-5 record and a 5.22 ERA after allowing a career-high 29 runs in 50 innings pitched.

In 2023 Hader is back, with a 0-1 record and a 1.26 ERA. He has gone 18 for 21 in save opportunities. One of the most feared left-handed relievers over the past five seasons not named Aroldis Chapman, Hader has limited the home runs allowed to opposing hitters while continuing to miss bats at a high rate.

With the Padres sputtering, Hader could find himself in another jersey before the 2023 season is over if the poor play from the Padres continues.

Stock Down

Jake Cronenworth, first base: Locked into a new seven-year, $80M contract extension in April, Cronenworth has struggled in 2023. Experiencing his worst season as a professional, he has not been able to find a groove at the plate.

Currently hitting .210 with only seven home runs and 26 RBI, Cronenworth isn't close to the production he has had since breaking into the majors in 2020. A versatile piece that can be used in numerous positions, Cronenworth has spent the majority of the season primarily playing first base but has been about league-average defensively.

With the extension looking worse and worse by the day, Cronenworth will look to turn his season around in the second half.

Yu Darvish, pitcher: Darvish received a six-year, $108M deal before the season and it is looking like another bad deal with Darvish experiencing a massive drop off in his pitching.

After posting a solid 16-8 record with a 3.10 ERA last season, Darvish has followed that up with a stinker of a season in 2023. With a 5-6 record and a 4.84 ERA, he is allowing opposing hitters to bat .246 against him, which would be a career-high if the season ended today.

With a contract that will pay him $14M in his 40 and 41-year-old seasons, the Padres can't be looking forward to the deal if this will be the production they get out of it over the next five seasons.

Darvish is very capable of going on a run where he looks lights out, so don't be surprised if he turns things around for the Padres with his trade value at the lowest it's been in years.

More must-reads: