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The 2028 Outlook
The Padres enter the 2028 season looking to three-peat. The core of the team remains largely the same, but a busy offseason has brought in a lot of unproven players. The Padres are the preseason favorite to win the NL West, but concerns remain about the team. Core players like Beau Burrows, Bryan Hoeing, Robbie Erlin, and Brendan Rodgers aren’t getting any younger. A once highly rated and deep well of talent down on the farm has dried up, with highly touted, yet unproven, youngsters Alfredo “Seeker” Miranda, Yajirobei “Blackjack” Fukuda, and Edouard Kieffer all making the opening day roster. What was once the best farm system in baseball now ranks 24th in the league.
San Diego’s roster is also a little on the thin side. Much like their young talent, the backups and role players that the Padres have brought in are green as grass. San Diego is already starting with star right fielder Bernardo Orosco on the DL, and one or two more injuries could put the club in a world of trouble. On the plus side, San Diego finally has a bit of money to play around with. The club enters the season with the 8th highest budget and 5th highest payroll. San Diego is banking on their younger stars coming into their own, while hoping to get a few more productive years out of their vets. However, should one of these parts falter, the Padres could easily find themselves struggling.
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