Padres HQ Live: genius! MLB pundit Officially throw brilliant analysis about the next two deadly” double breakout Padres raw talent” here are the full details…
The San Diego Padres are among the few teams that are always thrilling to watch. The Padres, one of the most exciting teams since the All-Star break, are in the thick of things in the National League, leading the race for a division crown and a first-round bye. San Diego’s summer has been incredible, and everything is pointing towards a well-deserved postseason trip.
To reach the level of the Padres, MLB teams require talent. Unquestionably, San Diego boasts a number of players with superstar potential. It is less predictable and more unpredictable that they will not all be performing at their best at the same moment. Others on the 26-man roster fill in for them at that point.
Those rosters are soon to be 28 for the final month of the season, making each position even more important. Championship contending teams have players who understand their role and do their best to thrive in it. The Padres have the pieces in place to have a roster like that, but certain players need to improve over the next few weeks.
With that being said, there are several candidates for players nearing a breakout on the Padres roster. Whether you believe in such a thing as “peaking too early” San Diego won’t complain about these players improving their stock in general, let alone right before the playoffs.
Both players on this list have gone through their struggles this season but have come out with better results in the second half. Hitting another level that they’ve hit before would be a welcome surprise for the Padres.
World Series champion getting back on track
Among the Padres’ many stars is Xander Bogaerts, the $280 million shortstop who’s hit well below average this season. San Diego actually shifted Bogaerts to second base this year, a defensive demotion in the eyes of some but he’s played well at second.
His numbers at the plate this season leave much to be desired. He’s hitting .267 with an OPS below. 700. If that OPS number holds it would be the first time since his rookie year in 2014 he finished with a sub-700 OPS.
The good news is he’s hit much better since coming off the injured list shortly before the All-Star break. Since then Bogaerts is hitting .333 with an .802 OPS and 129 wRC+. He’s reached base safely in 21 of 24 games this month.
Bogaerts is hitting near the top of the Padres’ order but hasn’t always produced enough to warrant that badge. If he can continue to hit above .300 in the second half and get his season OPS above .700, San Diego is more likely to keep him in the top three or five of the lineup when Fernando Tatis Jr. and other key bats return.
experience to dig himself out of a months-long slump. He seems to have done that with his performance over the past five weeks. Now he will be looked upon to deliver in the playoffs and live up to the moment in October.
Veteran left-hander throwing pivotal innings down the stretch
Pitching plays such a pivotal role in a team’s success late in the season, especially in the playoffs. The Padres have had several standout pitchers over the years and the same applies this season. Players like Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez have been catalysts for San Diego’s pitching staff but the role players are becoming important cogs for the Pads.
Martin Perez is throwing the ball well and has turned himself into a viable starter for the Padres down the stretch. He has a 2.70 ERA with San Diego since being traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30. The Padres won all five games he’s started with Perez allowing three runs or less every game. He has two quality starts under his belt since the deal, adding 24 strikeouts to seven walks.
San Diego’s pitching injuries have been well-documented this season, hence why they went after a veteran arm like Perez at the trade deadline. Him pitching well is the icing on the cake for the move as the Padres likely only expected him to eat innings while limiting baserunners. He’s done that and then some and might have earned a place in San Diego’s playoff rotation.
If the last two seasons have told us anything, it’s that Martin Perez pitches well late in the season. He had a 2.35 ERA in 15 1/3 innings last September, posting a 3.16 ERA in five September starts in 2022. His playoff numbers aren’t impressive, but Perez has thrived in big moments before throughout his 13-year career.
The Padres have a talented offense but the lineup is hot and cold. If a slump hits in September, San Diego’s pitching staff will have to front the burden. Acquisitions like Martin Perez and Tanner Scott need to prove their worth and become prime-time players
