Six Takeaways From the San Diego Padres’ 2025 Season

The group will remain mostly intact going into the 2026 season. Suarez will likely test the market, but even with his potential departure, you are still left with an elite group that will have an extremely high chance of replicating this season’s success.

Gavin Sheet’s Breakout Was Unexpected

I don’t think anybody would have predicted the non-roster invitee Gavin Sheets would be an impact player for the Padres, but that is exactly what he was. 

In four full seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Sheets batted .230 with a 90 OPS+, which led to a -2.8 WAR. 

Adjustments were made in his stance, having him stand more upright and athletically, and adopting a new “hybrid finish”. Along with some approach changes, it led to a resurgent 2025 season where Sheets delivered a .252/.317/.429 slash line, 19 home runs, and 71 RBIs. 

This breakout was an immediate aid to the Padres’ left field issue and has cemented him as a platoon player and a real threat when he gets hot.

Safe to say “holy sheets” will be chanted around Petco Park next season. 

Nick Pivetta Was the Best Free Agent Signing

When Nick Pivetta was signed right before spring training, it was seen more as a bolstering of the rotation move. Fast forward to the end of this season, and the Padres found themselves an ace and their Game 1 starter.

Just like with Sheets, not many would have seen a Pivetta breakout due to his long track record of being a high strikeout and mid-4.00s ERA pitcher.

Pitching coach Ruben Niebla shifted Pivetta over to the first side of the rubber and made some tweaks to his pitch mix. The result was a top 10 pitcher in all of baseball. 

What makes him the best signing is not only the results, but the contract. At four years, $55 million, he is not getting paid nearly what the aces of baseball are. Give A.J. Preller and the coaching staff credit for finding yet another diamond in the rough.

It’s Time To Temper Expectations For Fernando Tatis Jr.

We have all seen what Fernando Tatis Jr. is capable of and what he has the chance to become. However, I think it is time that we shift our expectations going forward.

In his first three seasons, he never posted an OPS below .930. Over the past three years, however, those numbers have dropped to .770, .833, and .814. It’s a far cry from his early production, and the decline in power has become increasingly noticeable.

Tatis most likely needs to be viewed as more of an All-Star-caliber player, rather than someone who is going to be a perennial MVP candidate. 

The talent is undeniable, and the pieces are all there for him to push himself back into the elite threshold, but as stated before, it’s been three seasons since we have seen that. We got a sneak peek at it in the first two months of the season when he looked like the NL MVP, but the rest of the season, he was never the same. 

The flip side of this is that he is still 26 years old, and most players don’t begin their prime until around their age 28 season. But I think for now, it is wise to have a wait-and-see approach before Tatis shows he can return to his previous self.

Power In The Lineup Was Severely Lacking

The Padres ranked 13th in MLB with 1,369 hits, but 945 of them were singles. Couple that with the offense ranking 28th in home runs (152) and 22nd in slugging (.390), and you have a very average offense. 

Those numbers are inexcusable given the talent level the lineup had to offer, and it will need to change. Preller will need to be busy surfing between free agency and via trade to re-energize the lineup. And once that is addressed, the bullpen can be that much more of a weapon come next season.

They Still Won 90 Games

Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease, Jackson Merrill, and Tatis. all turned in down years in terms of production. Additionally, the duo of Elias Díaz and Martin Maldonado was arguably the worst-hitting catching duo in MLB. 

On top of the lackluster production, there were a number of injuries that had to be navigated. Yu Darvish started the year on the IL with elbow inflammation, Michael King spent nearly three months on the IL with a nerve issue in his shoulder and knee inflammation, and Jason Adam suffered a season-ending quad injury.

Despite all of these things not falling the team’s way, they managed to win 90 games. This should be viewed as an overwhelming positive because the team was not playing its best baseball for the majority of the season, and it will be something to keep in mind going into next season.

Final Thoughts

The core of Tatis, Machado, and Merrill will still be intact, and that is still among the best in baseball. However, just like this season, I expect the roster to look very different. Both the rotation and the lineup, specifically first base, will need to be addressed. 

Preller will have to pick and choose which free agents he will want to keep around. In a perfect world, he retains King and Suarez and lets Cease and Arráez walk. 

San Diego has become one of the most exciting places to play baseball, and the city is hungry for a championship. Personally, I’m not in the camp that believes in blowing it up and starting over. Some players will need to bounce back, and a few key moves will have to be made for this team to take the next step. But the core is still strong, and with the right adjustments, the Padres can turn frustration into contention in 2026.