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The San Diego Padres are 27-15 and look poised to make back-to-back postseason appearances. They are in second place in the National League West, only half a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.
As a quarter of the season hits the books, the Padres took two out of three from the visiting Los Angeles Angels in a short west coast series.
San Diego got off to their best start in franchise history at the beginning of the season, starting 8-0 for their first time.
Let’s dive into why Padres fans should have hopes of making the playoffs and possibly making a postseason run.
Why the Padres Are a Playoff Lock
All-Stars Are Producing
Some baseball experts could argue that Fernando Tatis Jr. has been the best player in the MLB so far. Currently, the two-time all-star is batting .308, while smashing 11 home runs (tied for 8th), 26 RBI’s, and has an OPS of .943 (11th). Tatis is a do-it-all player and has been a human highlight reel any time he steps onto the field.
As for his teammate, third baseman Manny Machado, his production has almost matched Tatis’s. The six-time all-star is performing at a high level, during a season when he has had to step up with Center Fielder Jackson Merrill missing several games after being plagued by a right hamstring strain. Machado has done that and more, having a .340 average (5th) and .901 OPS (20th) to help lead the Friars to one of their best starts in a tough NL West division. If it wasn’t known before, Machado and Tatis are the leaders of the team out west.
Pitching Has Stepped Up Without Ace Yu Darvish
On the mound for the Friars, it has been nothing short of superb. In 2025, the Padres have a team ERA of 3.30, which is tied for 5th in the league. The bullpen has been even better, posting a 1.65 ERA, which is the best in the MLB on the young season. People forget this team lost Yu Darvish before the season began and lost Joe Musgrove, who is an outstanding number two or three starter.
Free agent acquisition Nick Pivetta has filled the void nicely, putting up a 3.05 ERA, with 44 punch-outs. Dylan Cease, who has been a reliable starter in the regular season, has taken a step back but will be expected to find his starting form. Michael King has been the best pitcher in the rotation, and San Diego has received much-needed help from unlikely starters Randy Vasquez and Stephen Kolek.
Here are the numbers so far for the starting rotation:
Michael King: ERA of 2.32, 56 strikeouts.
Nick Pivetta: ERA of 3.05, 49 strikeouts.
Dylan Cease: ERA of 4.60, 58 strikeouts.
Randy Vasquez: ERA of 3.45, 23 strikeouts
Stephen Kolek: ERA of 0.00, 11 strikeouts
Another positive for San Diego is that Darvish began his rehab assignment, pitching for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas on May 14th. He threw four innings and struck out four batters.
Staying Healthy and Expecting a Trade Before the Deadline
Besides Darvish, the team is back to full strength after losing First Baseman Luis Arraez for over a week when he sustained a concussion after colliding with Houston Astros’ Mauricio Dubon on April 20th. Now that Merrill and Second Baseman Jake Cronenworth have returned, expect this team to continue its winning ways. San Diego finished 93-69 last season and earned a wild card berth with almost the same team, except for the loss of left fielder Jurickson Profar in the off-season.
Expect the Padres to make a move before the trade deadline. General Manager A.J. Preller has a history of being active before the deadline. The Friars could look to add another bat, potentially in Left Field or off the bench, as veteran Jason Heyward has been a disappointment this season. They could also add another arm in the bullpen. Last season, Preller traded for Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays and setup reliever Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins to solidify the bullpen. If the Padres continue to rack up wins, Preller will most likely pull the trigger to improve the roster in hopes of making a deep postseason run.
San Diego will hang with the Dodgers throughout the season for a potential division bid, but if they can’t overcome them, expect the Padres to secure a Wild Card berth. Manager Mike Schildt has this team playing with confidence and knows what adjustments to make during certain situations. Remember, this team had the Dodgers on the ropes last season, taking them to a final game in the National League Division Series.
More must-reads:
- Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties franchise record with HR vs. Twins
- Four teams that should be sellers at the trade deadline
- The 'MLB All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Rafael Devers had telling comment about playing first base
Rafael Devers played first base for the San Francisco Giants for the first time on Tuesday, and his quote about playing the field likely will not sit well with Boston Red Sox fans. Devers said after Tuesday’s game that he prefers playing in the field as opposed to serving as a designated hitter. “It keeps me active. It keeps my head out of just thinking about the next at-bat,” Devers said, via Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’d rather be on the field than in the cage hitting all the time and thinking about the next at-bat.” Devers, of course, refused to play first base for the Red Sox after they asked him to. He felt disrespected after they moved him off third base to accommodate Alex Bregman, and thought the team went back on its word by later asking him to play first. To Red Sox fans, if Devers is best playing in the field and playing first would have helped the team, it will be baffling why he did not just do it when that would seemingly have been a preferable outcome for all involved. Devers went 2-for-5 in Tuesday’s 9-0 win over the Atlanta Braves, driving in a run in his first appearance at first base. It remains unclear how frequently the Giants plan to use him at the position, but the team might take note of these comments.
The fantastic fourth-round picks of the NFC East
To celebrate the opening of Marvel’s "Fantastic Four" (and NFL training camps), we’re highlighting the fourth-round picks of the NFC East as they get ready to do their thing, catch fire and take the league by storm. The Dallas Cowboys did not have a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft because they traded it to the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in 2024. New York Giants | RB Cam Skattebo Skattebo once declared himself the best running back in the country. Following a 170-yard, three-touchdown performance against Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game, Skattebo ran for 2,494 yards in two years with Arizona State and averaged 5.8 yards per carry for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. The former Sun Devil started his college career at Sacramento State, the only D-1 school to give him an offer out of high school. He played two seasons with the Hornets and was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 before joining Arizona State in 2023. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Skattebo is much bigger than backup running back Devin Singletary and has more upside as a receiver with 112 catches for 1,386 yards and eight touchdowns in four college seasons. His 571 yards after the catch in 2024 were the most among running backs in this year’s draft, and his 13.0 yards after the catch per reception tied for fifth, per Pro Football Focus. Philadelphia Eagles | DT Ty Robinson With the loss of Milton Williams to New England, it could be clobberin’ time for Robinson in Philadelphia. Williams had a career-high five sacks while playing in 48% of the team’s defensive snaps last year, but signed a four-year, $104M contract with the Patriots in the offseason. Meanwhile, Robinson led the Cornhuskers with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Altogether, the 6-foot-5, 288-pound defender had 134 tackles, 12 sacks and 12 pass break-ups while appearing in a school-record 60 games in five seasons. Per PFF, Robinson led all defensive tackles with 11 quarterback hits in 2024 and ran an official 4.83 at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, the fastest among defensive tackles, with a top speed of 20.64 mph. He also played eight snaps as a goal-line fullback, with seven plays resulting in a touchdown last season. Washington Commanders | WR Jaylin Lane Lane led all receivers with a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine and could be on the fast track for starters reps if Washington can’t work out a deal with its No. 1 receiver. Terry McLaurin skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp and did not report for the opening of training camp on Tuesday. The 5-foot-10, 196-pound pass-catcher spent three years at Middle Tennessee State before leaving for Virginia Tech in 2023. Last year, Lane had 38 catches for 466 yards and two touchdowns along with 116 yards and two scores returning punts. According to the team’s website, Lane received the 14th-highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) among receivers at the combine and had top-three scores in the vertical jump (40-inches), broad jump (11 feet), three-cone drill (6.75) and 20-yard shuttle (4.12). The longer McLaurin holds out of camp, the more opportunities Lane will get to showcase his athleticism and compete with Luke McCaffrey, a third-round pick in 2024, for a role as the team’s slot receiver in 2025.
Cowboys' George Pickens takes shot at Steelers at start of training camp
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and team owner/president Art Rooney II previously said they wanted to see mercurial wide receiver George Pickens "grow up." Now with the Dallas Cowboys, Pickens seemed to take a shot at his former team while speaking with reporters at training camp on Tuesday. "Yeah, I'm definitely excited to run better plays, for sure," Pickens said, NFL.com's Kevin Patra shared. A 2022 second-round draft pick, Pickens developed a reputation for looking displeased over a lack of targets and for emotional outbursts during games over his first three seasons in the league. Pittsburgh traded the 24-year-old to Dallas in May after the Steelers reportedly grew "fed up with" the talented target who was allegedly guilty of a "litany of violations." Pickens was known for arriving late to practices while with the Steelers. He was also reportedly late for Pittsburgh's Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Dallas' Dak Prescott should be the best quarterback Pickens has had as a pro. Additionally, Pickens has a needed mentor in No. 1 Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. "Oh yeah, for sure," Pickens responded when asked on Tuesday if he believes he and Lamb can be the NFL's top one-two punch at the position. "Just different type of styles of play. A lot of people over the years got different styles of play, but CeeDee's a certain type of guy, then I'm a certain type of guy. So, when you mesh that together, it's like 'Mario Bros.' We definitely can do something special." Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and there's no indication he will receive an extension from the Cowboys before he shows what he'll be as a player and a person this season. Thus, he has millions of reasons to want to be on his best behavior and produce the best campaign of his career while sharing an offense with Prescott and Lamb. It remains to be seen if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer will succeed where Tomlin failed in getting the most out of Pickens, if even for one season.
Aaron Boone ejection signals struggles are pushing him to breaking point
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone keeps losing his grip. After defending Yankee players for not showing enough emotion during losses in a recent podcast interview, the manager had another outburst in Wednesday's road game against the Toronto Blue Jays. At the top of the seventh inning, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was called out on a strike, despite the ball looking well above the zone. Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez subsequently ejected Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake for arguing the call. After that, Boone stepped in. Boone walked out of the dugout and let Gonzalez have a piece of his mind even after being ejected. Frustration had been mounting for Boone. Gonzalez had already missed a strike three call in the top of the third inning but apologized for it. The Yankees were also trailing, 6-4, when he was ejected. They didn't come back from that deficit as Toronto won, 8-4, capturing the second game of the three-game series against New York. Attribute the loss to an atrocious defensive performance from the Yankees. They committed four errors, two of which allowed the Blue Jays to score runs. With the loss, the Yankees' chances of winning the American League East are slipping. Toronto (60-42) is first in the division ahead of New York (56-46). If the playoffs started Wednesday night, the Bronx Bombers would have the first AL wild-card spot. Even more concerning for the Yankees, they haven't looked like a World Series contender over their past 10 games, going 5-5. With 60 regular-season games remaining, the Yankees still have plenty of time to get their act together. Still, they should do it soon for Boone's sake. He seems like he's reaching his breaking point.
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