Ty France’s Homecoming May Have Saved The Padres’ Season

Ty France was in the postseason spotlight for the most unusual of reasons on Saturday.  The first baseman’s possible game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS was turned into a fly ball out to Jackson Chourio after the ball deflected off a cable hanging from the roof of American Family Field.  The bizarre play allowed the Brewers to hang on for a 3-2 victory, leaving the Padres in an early hole in the best-of-five series.

It’s the kind of play that will become infamous in San Diego baseball lore if the Padres lose the NLDS, and (had the unobstructed ball stayed fair) robbed France of a hero moment.  The 32-year-old still has plenty more time to help the Friars turn things around in the series, and continue what has already been an unexpected career year.

France may have been the single most productive minor league signing of the 2025-26 offseason.  For fans who wonder why all teams make these so-called “dumpster-diving” signings of veteran players, it’s because that when they hit, the return is enormous.  Case in point, France’s .295/.362/.502 slash line and 21 homers over an even 500 plate appearances for the Padres.

The batting average, slugging percentage, home run total, and 141 wRC+ were all career bests for France over a full season.  His previous high of a 133 wRC+ came over 43 games with the Padres and Mariners in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and France also delivered a 128 wRC+ over 1263 PA for Seattle during the 2021-22 seasons.

An All-Star appearance in 2022 was followed by three years of decline.  A lack of power was the chief reason France’s wRC+ dropped to 106 in 2023, and continued struggles the following season led the Mariners to designate France for assignment in July.  France was subsequently traded to the Reds at the 2024 deadline without much change in his production, and he became a free agent after being outrighted off Cincinnati’s roster at season’s end.  The first baseman then signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Twins and hit .257/.320/.360 over 490 PA for Minnesota and Toronto, as France was again dealt at the deadline and played a role in Toronto’s run to the AL pennant.

The 2025 season did see France win the AL Gold Glove for his defensive work at first base, but couldn’t land a guaranteed deal on the open market.  The result was a return to his original organization (the Padres drafted France in the 34th round in 2015) and to his hometown.  France was born a couple of hours up the road in Downey, California, and he played his college ball at San Diego State.

France was one of three veterans the Padres brought into the first base/DH mix last offseason, with Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos both signed as right-handed hitting complements to the lefty-swinging Gavin Sheets.  Andujar has hit decently well but missed most of the season due to injury, Castellanos struggled and was released in June, and Sheets cooled off significantly after a hot start.  France’s production not only solidified the first base position but, to some extent, kept San Diego’s entire lineup afloat.

The Padres’ success over the last two-plus months has made many forget that the team was one of the worst-hitting clubs in baseball prior to the All-Star break.  In a season where so many Padres hitters ran cold and then very hot, France has been a constant force — his “worst” month was an .804 OPS over 79 PA in June, and France followed that month up with a .966 OPS in July.  The consistency extended to virtually identical home/away splits, and against right-handed and left-handed pitchers.

If it wasn’t for France, Michael King, and San Diego’s elite bullpen, the Padres might’ve found themselves in a much bigger hole than the 50-53 record the team held at the end of play on July 23.  Since then, San Diego went 41-18 to finish as the NL’s top wild card team, and then swept the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series to advance to face Milwaukee.

As France enters free agency again, the obvious question is whether or not he can keep it up in 2027 and beyond.  France certainly benefited from a .342 BABIP this season, and his walk, whiff, and chase rates were all well below the league average.  While the whiff and strikeout rates were also below France’s career norms, his 47.4% hard-hit ball rate was easily the best of his career.

France turns 33 next July, and the free agent market isn’t always kind to aging first base-only players.  While he has a handful of appearances at second and third base over the last couple of years, first base is obviously France’s primary position, and his elite defense adds to his value.  France stands out within this year’s list of free agent first basemen, and the free agent class as a whole is thin on premium hitting, so France may stand out for teams looking to add a bat.

France will obviously command a much higher price tag than the $1.35MM he earned in 2026, and a two-year guarantee (or two years and an option for a third) is a very reasonable ask given his production.  He could be open to a bit of a hometown discount for the Padres, given how the return to San Diego has revived his career.  The Padres have several roster holes to fill this winter but also a good deal of money coming off the books, and new owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones have promised to keep spending “ambitiously” (if probably not at the levels of the Peter Seidler era).