San Diego Padres - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

Decade

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Titles:

Top Padres Players of the Twenty Twenties

2020 - WC Beat St. Louis; NLDS Lost to LA

2022 - WC beat Mets; NLDS beat LA; NLCS Lost to Philly

Pitchers:

2024 - WC beat Atlanta; NLDS Lost to LA

Yu Darvish (8.55) - 26

2025 - WC lost Cubs

Joe Musgrove (10.58) - 23

Blake Snell (9.44) - 19

Ballpark:

Dylan Cease (4.2) - 12

Petco Park

Josh Hader (1.43) - 12

Mark Melancon (2.12) - 12

Team Name:

Michael King (4.1) - 11

Padres

Nick Pivetta (5.3) - 11

Robert Suarez (3.43) - 10

Owner:

Michael Wacha (2,4) - 8

Consortium led by Peter O'Malley, Eric Kutsenda and Sheel Seidler

Zach Davies (1.64) - 8

Chris Paddack (-0.44) - 8

General Managers:

Adrian Morejon (3.54) - 8

AJ Preller

Catchers:

Managers:

Austin Nola (2.73) - 4

Jayce Tingler (2020-2021)

Luis Campusano (-0.24) - 3

Bob Melvin (2022-2023)

Gary Sanchez (2.5) - 3

Mike Schildt (2024-2025)

Craig Stammen (2025)

First Basemen:

Jake Cronenworth (15.94) - 27

Hall of Famers:

Eric Hosmer (3.21) - 13

None

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Xander Bogaerts (7.6) - 25

None

Luis Arraez (2.3) - 10

MVP

ShortStop:

None

Ha-Seong Kim (15.51) - 30

No Hitters:

Third Base:

2021 - Joe Musgrove (Texas)

Manny Machado (25.22) - 51

Cy Young:

Outfield:

2023 - Blake Snell

Fernando Tatis (20.1) - 59

2024 - Dylan Cease

Trent Grisham (10.38) - 29

Jackson Merrill (7.2) - 22

Notable Events:

Jurickson Profar (8.52) - 18

San Diego has been a perennial contender in the 2020's decade but have only

Juan Soto (7.41) - 11

once made it as far in the post season as the NLCS. 2025 saw the Padres

Will Myers (3.88) - 10

crash out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round after winning 90 regular season

games. It is the pitching that carried the Padres to their high finish in '25 as they

Notable Events:

gave up 100 runs less than the league average.The offense scored 14 less than the

league average which is unusual for a ninety win team. Unfortunately for the

2020 - After nine years of losing seasons, most well below .500, San Diego

Padres, they lost their number two guy in the rotation, Dylan Cease, in Free

turns it around in the Covid shortened '20 season seeing their record move

Agency to the Blue Jays. They also lost their closer, 40 saves, Robert Suarez

to a posh 37-23 mark (which extrapolates to 100-62 in a full schedule).

in free agency to the Braves. They have also lost starter Yu Darvish to injury, he

The difference was that San Diego started to spend. In 2019, they surprised

will be out for the year. I wouldn't expect the Padres to make the playoffs again

everybody signing high priced star 3B Manny Machado away from the Dodgers.

this year. The losses of Cease and Suarez are not only huge material losses, but

In 2019, superstar twenty year old SS Fernando Tatis, who had been stolen

psychological, as well, as the players are well aware Padre management is no

from the White Sox three years earlier, came up as a rookie and went

longer committeed to winning over frugality.

22-53-.317 with 16 stolen bases. In 2020, the Padres also added pitchers Mike

Clevinger, 29, from Cleveland and Zach Davies. 27, from Milwaukee.

Starting Pitchers:

Neither of whom came cheap.

□ RHP Nick Pivetta, 33, '25 Trade from Boston, '25 13-5 2.87

□ RHP Michael King, 31, '24 Trade from NYY, '25 5-3 3.44

2020 - The owner of the Padres is a consortium led by Ronald Fowler and

□ RHP Joe Musgrove, 33, '21 from Pittsburgh, '24 6-5 3.88

Peter Seidler who bought the club in '12. The consortium looked like the

□ RHP Walker Buehler, 31, '26 FA from Phillies, '25 10-7 4.73

typical shallow pockets ownership San Diego has traditionally had until '19

□ RHP Randy Vasquez, 27, '24 Trade from NYY, '25 6-7 3.84

when they started spending.

□ RHP Griffin Cannning 30, '26 FA from Mets, '25 7-3 3.77

. Unclear what prompted ownership to reverse course and let go of the

□ LHP JP Sears, 30, '25 Trade deadline from A's, '25 2-2 5.47

purse strings, but it was great news for San Diego fans.

□ RHP Yu Darvish, 39, '21 Trade from Cubs, '25 5-5 5.39 injured

□ LHP Kash Mayfield, 21, '24 draft 1st round pick, '25 A 1-5 2.97

2020 - AJ Preller was brought on as GM in '14. After floundering for a

□ LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, 19, '25 draft 1st round pick, '25 6 foot 8

number of years, he has been at the forefront of the San Diego

□ RHP German Marquez 31, '26 FA from Colorado, '25 3-16 6.70

turnaround in '20. It has helped him, big time, that the Padres purse strings

□ RHP Triston McKenzie, 28, '26 FA from Cleveland, '25 0 -0 11.12

strings were loosened considerably over the last couple of years.

□ RHP Matt Waldron, 29, '21 Trade from Cleveland, '24 7-11 4.91

Preller has had an aggressive approach during the 2020's decade and

□ LHP Jagger Haynes, 23, '20 draft 5th round pick, '25 AA 3-4 4.11

even tho' the Padres haven't been winning as much as has been hoped,

□ RHP Victor Lizarraga, 22, '21 IFA '25 AA-AAA 5-10 5.77

they have been competitive and very entertaining to watch.

The Padres didn't find any comparable replacements for departed Dylan Cease

and Robert Suarez. That is going to put a big dent in the team's strength - pitching.

2020 - Jayce Tingler was hired as manager in '20. He's a new age type of

Nick Pivetta is the only starter that can be expected to be a quality starter this

manage and young at 38 years old. He speaks fluent Spanish.

season. There are a number of intriguing possibilities for filling in the remaining

He has a lot of experience managing Latin players in the Dominican Winter

rotation spots but none of whom did it last year.

and Summer leagues. Unfortunately for Jayce, he lasted only two seasons

as he was the one who had to fall on his sword after the 79-83 '21 season.

Relief Pitchers:

Veteran Bob Melvin, a traditional sort, took Tingler's place.

□ Closer RHP , Mason Miller, '25 Trade deadline from A's, '25 1-2 2.63 22saves

Melvin didn't last long either being replace by Mike Schildt in '24

□ LHP Adrian Morejon, 27, '16 IFA, '25 13-6 2.08

And Schildt, one would guess, wasn't the answer either as he was

□ RHP Jermiah Estrada, 27, '24 FA from Cubs, '25 4-5 3.45

replaced by Mike Stammen in '25.

□ RHP Jason Adam, 34, '24 Trade deadlne from TB, '25 8-4 1.93

□ RHP Wandy Peralta, 34, '24 FA from Yankees, '25 6-1 3.14

2021 - The bumpy ride begins. Despite spending big on their pitching staff,

□ RHP Yuki Matsui, 30, '24 IFA from Japan, '25 3-1 3.98

bringing in Yu Darvish, 34, from Texas, Blake Snell, 27, from Tampa,

□ RHP David Morgan, 26, '22 FA, '25 1-2 2.66

Joe Musgrove, 28, from the Pirates and closer Mark Melancon, 36, from

□ RHP Bradgley Rodriguez, 22, '21 IFA, '25 1-0 1.17

the Braves, the staff actually goes from giving up 4 runs per game in '20

□ RHP Daison Acosta, 28, '26 FA from Washington, '25 AAA 5-1 2.42

to 4.5 runs per game in '21 and the team falls under .500. This was a huge

□ RHP Ty Adcock, 29, '26 FA from Mets, '25 0-0 3.00

surprise and it cost manager Jayce Tingler his head.

The bullpen, despite the loss of closer Robert Suarez, is a plus.

Closer Mason Miller was picked up at the trade deadline from the A's and

2022 - The Padres double down on their spending. They add LHP Sean

was a stud. Adrian Morejon who had an unusual 13 wins for a reliever,

Manaea, 30, from the A's before the start of the season and then score a couple

Jason Adam, and Wandy Peralta had nice years out of the pen last season.

of blockbusters landing twenty three year old super superstar Juan Soto, 23,

And there is some depth behind them. The Padres pen ended up with the

from Washington and stud closer Josh Hader, 28, from Milwaukee at the trade

lowest ERA in baseball last season and should be down there again.

deadline. San Diego yo-yo's up to an 89-73 mark and the arrow is

definitely pointing up. The pitching staff knocks the half a run a game it added

Regulars:

in '21 back down to four runs per game given up.

□ C Freddy Fermin, 31, '25 Trade deadline from KC, '25 2 14 .244

Altho' they gained ten games in the standings, the question in everyone's

□ 1B Gavin Sheets, 30, '25 FA from White Sox, '25 19 71 .252

mind was why isn't this team winning more? Good question.

□ 2B Sung-Mun Song, 29, '26 IFA from Korea, '25

□ 3B Manny Machado, 33, '19 FA from Baltimore, '25 27 95 .275 14sb

2023 - The Padres make another splash in the off season signing star SS

□ SS Xander Bogaerts, 33, '23 FA from Boston, '25 11 53 .263 20sb

Xander Bogaerts, 30, and RHP Michael Wacha, 31, both from the Red Sox

□ OF Ramon Laureano, 31, '25 Trade deadline from Baltimore, '25 9 30 .269

and they add 3B Matt Carpenter, 37, from the Cards. They have an all star

□ CF Jackson Merrill, 23, '21 draft 1st round pick, '25 16 67 .264

semi circular lineup and a high priced talented pitching rotation and a stud closer.

□ OF Fernando Tatis, 27, '16 Trade from White Sox, '25 25 71 .268 32sb

Expectations are very high for the Padres to contend with perennial hundred

□ DH Miguel Andujar, 31, '26 FA from the Reds, '25 10 44 .318

game winners, the Dodgers, for supremacy in the NL West.

□ C Luis Campusanao, 27, '17 draft second round pick, '25 0 0 .000

□ C Ethan Salas, 20, '23 IFA, '25 AA 0 5 .188

2023 - The Padres lay an egg going 82-80. They were expected, with the

□ IF Will Wagner, 27, '25 Trade deadline from Toronto, '25 0 0 .103

roster they had, to win around a hundred. Very disappointing for San Diego.

□ IF Mason McCoy, 31, '24 FA from Toronto, '25 0 1 .136

The Padres run totals indicated a 92-70 record while not what was expected

□ IF Jose Miranda, 27, '26 FA from Twins, '25 1 5 .167

would have made their season palatable as they would at least have made

□ OF Bryce Johnson, 30, '25 Trade from Pirates, '25 1 8 .342

the playoffs. Usually when a team underachieves this badly, it is because

□ OF Nick Castellanos, 34, '26 FA from Phillies, '25 17 72 .250

their closer was a disaster, blowing one close game after another. That wasn't

□ OF Ty France, 31, '26 FA from Toronto, '25 7 52 .257

the case here. Closer Josh Hader was brilliant with 33 saves on a 1.28 ERA.

The Padres were 18 runs below the league average last year which is a bit of a

The pitching staff overall ranked second in the National League and gave up

surprise considering some of the talented sticks they have on their squad.

a hundred runs under the league average. The starters went 54-33. The culprit

You figure a lineup featuring Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, Jackson Merrill

was the bullpen depth beyond the excellent starters and closer. They had a

and Xander Bogaerts would fare better. On top of them, the Padres have several

combined 28-47 record and blew one game after the other in the middle innings.

other pretty decent sticks: Gavin Sheets, Miguel Andujar who was picked up from

The Padres also supposedly had a circular all star lineup, but managed to score

the Reds, Ramon Laureano, 2B Sung-Mun Song who was signed from the

only four runs over the league norm. Juan Soto pulled his weight with

Korean league and veteran OF Nick Castellanos who was signed as a FA from

a .930 OPS. But nobody else was over .800. Stars 3B Machado,

the Phillies. It feels like San Diego should hit a bit better this season.

SS Bogaerts, OF Tatis and C Sanchez all had decent years, but not

C Freddy Fermin doesn't hit much but is one of the top defensive receivers

star quality seaons.

in the game.

2024 - Things didn't work out for the Padres. There have been a zillion

theories about why this talent laden lineup did not click, but, at the end of

the day, it did not click. Owner Peter Seidler, hemorrhaging money

decides to pull the plug. San Diego traded away their best hitter

young slugger Juan Soto to the Yankees for a couple of quality

pitching prospects. They let go in free agency stud closer Josh Hader

(33 saves). Starter Michael Wacha (14-4), starter Blake Snell (14-9) and

Seth Lugo (8-7) are not re-signed and sign elsewhere as free agents.

The two youngsters from the Yankees, Michael King (4-8) and Randy

Vasquez (2-3) plus veteran Dylan Cease (7-9), acquired from the White Sox,

have some pretty big shoes to fill. Robert Suarez who had a 4.33 ERA

in '23 attempts to replace Josh Hader. He doesn’t.

2024 - So just when you think the Padres organization has given up, they have,

they go out and win eleven more games than '23 and end up in the playoffs.

The team has stabilized. Go figure.