The San Diego Padres - 2025 and Beyond

[Sundance]

It was a busy offseason for the Padres. It’s often said that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well, apparently Syrio Forel is not familiar with that saying. The Padres GM dealt 13 players on the active roster over 3 trades.

Trade #1

CL Matt Laval, MR Suezo Tomita, MR Keivi Rojas, 2B Manny Garcia, and their 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 15th round draft picks to Boston. Boston’s 2nd round draft pick to San Diego.

Trade #2

1B Raul Sanchez, 3B Travis Maezes, LF Luis Flores, MR Takamuku Hirai, 2B Zach Stone, and their 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 17th round draft picks to the Cubs. Chicago’s 3rd round draft pick to San Diego.

Trade #3

MR Randy Tanton, C Alex Guerrero, 3B Michael Chavis, SS Daniel Chene, minor league CF Bob Lee, and their 10th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd round draft picks to Houston. Minor league SP Frederic Riviere to San Diego.

With freed up funds, Forel then went out and signed free agent first baseman Juan Hernandez. The contract is worth $140.3 million over 6 years. The 28 year old brings some much needed power to the Padres’ lineup. He’s coming off of a season in which he hit .292/.356/.523 with 45 doubles, 34 HR, and a 4.9 WAR for the Blue Jays.

League News

1B Albert Pujols (.303/.389/.552, 2877 H, 567 HR, 1794 RBI) and SP Jake Peavy (202-176, 3.83 ERA, 3184.2 IP, 2819 K) were selected to the Hall of Fame.

Yankees’ GM Carlos Viera, Atlanta’s GM Tashiaki Taguchi, Atlanta’s manager Jose Patino, Colorado’s GM Ken Thompson, and Angels’ manager Kevin King have all been fired.

Rule Change

The minimum service time required to reach free agency has been increased to 7 years.

[Sundance]

San Diego put together a decent spring this year. The Padres went 16-12, finishing 1 game behind the Diamondbacks. 20 year old prospect Alfredo Miranda led the league in hits with 28, while Brendan Rodgers topped the SB charts with 9 and Jose Rodriguez led in walks with 24. On the other side of the field, MR Kevin Lee led the league in K with 37.

[Sundance]

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.

[Sundance]

SP Beau Burrows – Burrows is coming off of what may have been his best year as a professional. Burrows still maintains a massive arm, hitting 97-99 MPH with his fastball, but early indications are that his stuff isn’t quite as electric as it used to be. A number of his offspeed pitches have lost some of their bite. He’s still got great control and movement, and batters still have a hard time getting any of his pitches up in the air, but there could potentially be a lot of balls in play when he’s on the mound. He’s on the wrong side of his prime, but there’s more in the tank. Some good defensive play paired with a slow decline will mean that Burrows could still put up some good numbers. However, should he implode, the Padres will be in some trouble.

SP Nacho “Doberman” Castillo – The 25 year old appears to be the heir to the throne of San Diego’s pitching staff. He pitched well for Seattle, but only has 9 games under his belt for San Diego. The 25 year old has some big shoes to fill since he is essentially replacing former Pitcher of the Year Eric Confer. It still remains to be seen if the young man can cope with that sort of pressure.

SP Bryan Hoeing – Hoeing is sort of the forgotten man in San Diego’s rotation. Hoeing originally burst onto the scene in 2019 – winning both the Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year Awards. He followed that performance with another Pitcher of the Year Award in 2020. However, since 2023, the baseball world seems to have forgotten about him. Despite extremely solid numbers, Hoeing has received no accolades, no All-Star selections. He has become the unsung hero of the Padres. If Burrows, Castillo, and Barosio are the engine of the staff, then Hoeing is the oil that keeps everything running smoothly. For the Padres to be successful, they need the consistency of Hoeing in the middle of their rotation.

SP Gustavo Spotelli – The feeling among the scouts is that Spotelli could potentially have a breakout season in 2028. He’s one of the Padres’ slower growing prospects, but he has displayed constant growth, which is encouraging. He’s put up some good numbers in his young career, but the Padres are still waiting to see if he’ll develop into the star that they’re hoping for.

RHP Raul Barosio – Despite his protests, the Padres have decided to continue to use Barosio as a starter. Over the last 2 years, Barosio has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the league. In 2026, working strictly out of the pen, he went 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA, a 10.1 K/9 ratio, and a 1.5 WAR. As a starter in 2027 he went 18-2 with a 2.07 ERA and a 5.3 WAR. His attitude will play a large role in San Diego’s success. If he continues to give it his all as a starter, the Padres will be just fine. However, if he continues to be unhappy about his role on the team and his performance dips, the team could be in some trouble.

C Jose Rodriguez – I know I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but how ‘bout that 27th round draft pick! Rodriguez continues to defy all odds and has turned into one of the best offensive talents at catcher. The Padres will be hoping for a little more power from the 27 year old, but if he can produce similar numbers as last year, he’ll be looking at another All-Star caliber year.

1B Juan Hernandez – Padres GM Syrio Forel isn’t known for making big splashes in the free agent market, so the acquisition of Hernandez surprised everyone. He really came into his own after being traded from the Tigers to the Blue Jays, and the Padres are hoping that they can get similar production from him. He brings some much needed power to San Diego’s lineup, and should help to relieve some of the pressure off of Rodriguez.

2B Chris “Ant” McKinney – Ant is coming off of a career year in 2027. He doesn’t necessarily light up any stat category, but he does everything right. A very consistent and well-balanced hitter. He’s one of those guys that quietly goes about his business, but who needs to produce if the Padres wish to defend their title.

SS Brendan Rodgers – The long time face of the Padres is looking to bounce back from a career worst year. His numbers dropped across the board last season, and fans have begun to wonder if Father Time is starting to catch up with him. The Padres, on the other hand, are hoping that last year’s troubles were just a fluke. Throughout his career, Rodgers has been one of the most consistent hitters in San Diego’s lineup. The team will be counting on a return to that consistency in 2028.

LF Tim “Pumpkin” Elmore – According to the scouts, Tim has reached his full expected potential. But what kind of player Elmore is remains to be seen. Similar to McKinney, Elmore is a player that doesn’t do any one thing spectacularly, but he does everything well. The biggest concern is his consistency. The Padres simply don’t know if they have the .300 hitter from 2026, or the mid .260 hitter of 2027. San Diego will need some solid production out of Elmore if they want to succeed this season.

RF Bernardo “Horseface” Orosco – The 25 year old star will begin the 2028 season on the DL. He’s expected to miss a minimum of 8 weeks. Still, he will play a key factor in San Diego’s success. His ability to put the ball in play, get on base, and put pressure on the pitcher and defense with his speed simply makes the rest of the lineup better. His presence will surely be missed by San Diego, but once he returns to the lineup, watch out.

[Sundance]

2028 Opening Day Lineups

[Sundance]

The Padres have just one prospect named to the preseason Top 100 – 2027 1st round draft pick SP Cale Wooten (#38).

[Sundance]

4/18/2028

Hector Salas of the Houston Astros has extended his hitting streak to 20 games.

4/19/2028

Rich Lefevre of the White Sox hit for the cycle! The right fielder went 4-5 in the team’s 12-7 victory over the Rays.

4/23/2028

Hector Salas’ hitting streak has come to an end. The center fielder made it to 23 games before going 0-4 against Seattle.

Monthly Review

Despite being in 1st place, the Padres have not gotten off to the kind of start that they were hoping for. The team is currently 14-11, sitting on top of the NL West by 1.5 games. As expected, the team’s pitching staff has come out of the gate hot and is dominating. However, the offense has been stagnant. In this young season, the Padres rank near the bottom of the NL in nearly every statistical category. It’s still very early in the season, so it’s not time to panic just yet, but the club’s hitting needs to improve in a hurry if the Padres want to be successful this year.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Sancho Acevedo (.485 BA, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R), Royals
Top Pitcher – Wilson Alvarado (4-0, 0.88 ERA, 41 K), Blue Jays
Rookie – Tsugahara Hasegawa (.317 BA, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 10 R), Indians

NL:

Top Batter – Tony Melendez (.374 BA, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 20 R), Braves
Top Pitcher – Alex Martinez (5-0, 2.18 ERA, 20 K), Mets
Rookie – Chris Nash (.330 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R), Diamondbacks

[Sundance]

5/7/2028

This year’s draft pool has been announced. At the moment, the Top 10 prospects appear to be:

CF John Starks – Serviceable outfielder who will probably find spots on lower end to middle level teams. His offensive skills just aren’t as good as you’d like, but he’s a fantastic defender and has great speed. Could possibly be a role player on a contender.

RHP Joe “Bird” Bush – Should develop into a good, but not great, pitcher. Average skill set with a large arsenal of pitches. He’ll hang around the league for a while, but he most likely won’t ever be an ace.

CF Max Moore – Good power, but not great skills. Has enough to play at the big league level, but no one is going to build a team around him. He has good speed, but is a defensive liability.

CF Orlando Garcia – Another guy that will probably have a decent, but not great career. He possesses some good pop, but his offensive skill set as a whole is underwhelming. Good defender with plus, plus speed. Does have a couple red flags however. He’s a smart kid, but it doesn’t seem like his heart is in it. A poor work ethic could stop him from reaching his potential.

RHP Jonathan “Neanderthal” Burgess – Has all the physical tools to be an ace, but perhaps not the mental makeup. He’s a hard thrower with electric stuff – everything he throws has a wrinkle in it. However, he’s extremely introverted and it always seems like he can’t wait to get off the field.

SS Nelson “Big Dipper” Rodriguez – One more guy that could have a good, not great, career. Average offensive ability, average defender, average speed.

RHP Tony “Stubblebeard” Andrews – A very good pitching prospect. Decent velocity, but has great stuff. Has 3 pitches, and could develop a top notch change and slider. Good mental makeup and a natural leader. Should develop into a frontend starter, with potential ace material.

RHP Ken “Stinger” Phipps – Very similar to Tony Andrews. Decent velocity, good stuff, three pitches with a potentially devastating changeup. He’s not quite the leader that Andrews is, but he’s a real student of the game with a good work ethic.

C Junior Carazos – An average offensive talent at best. He’s got enough skills to lure teams into picking him up, but not enough to keep him around. He’s a good guy, but has a reputation for being lazy.

LHP Antonio “Wacko” Martinez – This year’s draft seems to be pretty deep in pitching talent, and Martinez could potentially be the cream of the crop; that is, if he develops. Has natural talent, but you can tell that he’s let that go to his head. Extremely hard to coach because he thinks that he knows everything. Lots of potential, but if he won’t listen to his coaches, he could find the next level difficult.

5/11/2028

Nacho Castillo tossed a 6 hit shutout against the Braves. He struck out 6 in the 10-0 victory.

5/19/2028

T.J. Heath of the Brewers has extended his hitting streak to 20 games.

5/20/2028

Cubs center fielder Gregory Polanco has reached 2,000 hits for his career.

5/21/2028

Another streak comes to an end. T.J. Heath’s hitting streak has ended at 21 games.

5/22/2028

Nacho Castillo has tossed his second shutout of the month! He gave up 4 hits, struck out 4, and the Padres beat the A’s 4-0. Fours galore!

5/26/2028

A busy month for milestones! San Francisco’s J.P. Crawford has reached the 2,000 career hit mark.

5/31/2028

Ruben Gonzalez of the Twins threw a no-hitter against the Falcons today. He struck out 5 and walked 4 in the 1-0 victory.

Monthly Review

The Padres were on fire in the month of May – going 20-7 for the month. The club holds the second best record in baseball at 34-18, and has extended their lead over the Diamondbacks to 8 games. The performance of the pitching staff dipped a tiny amount – they now rank 2nd in most categories, but no lower than 4th in any category. The offense has started to step up their game. The Padres have crept up the leader boards in BA, OBP, and hits, but remain near the bottom of the NL in the power categories. 22 year old right fielder Edouard Kieffer leads the club with 10 HR and 43 RBI. Newly acquired 1B Juan Hernandez hasn’t quite found his homerun swing just yet, with only 2 on the season, but he does lead the club in doubles. C Jose Rodriguez has shown some incredible patience, racking up 43 BB and a .442 OBP. RHP Jorge Fernandez has been lights out so far this season, earning 19 SV, a 0.30 ERA, and a .129 batting average against.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Jeremy Crabtree (.336 BA, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 19 R), Tigers
Top Pitcher – Jim Robinson (5-0, 0.76 ERA, 41 K), Falcons
Rookie – Tetsui Baba (.330 BA, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 15 R), Falcons

NL:

Top Batter – Ivan Pena (.372 BA, 12 HR, 27 RBI, 22 R), Giants
Top Pitcher – Pete Petit (4-0, 0.18 ERA, 50 K), Crusaders
Rookie – Tim Jacobson (.358 BA, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R), Nationals

[Sundance]

With the 22nd overall pick in the 2028 Draft, the San Diego Padres selected 2B Jim DeWitt. I have a little more faith in DeWitt than the scouting report does. As of this moment, he is projected to be a bench bat, but after taking a look at his potential, I could see him as an everyday player. The way I see it, he’s projected to be a slightly worse Chris McKinney – they have similar gap power, HR power, and are tough outs. McKinney makes better contact, and has a better eye, but DeWitt has a good work ethic and room to grow. If he can improve his eye, I think he’d be a pretty solid option at second base.

RHP Jonathan Burgess was the #1 overall selection (Boston).

[Sundance]

6/6/2028

Houston’s LHP Naohiro Kobayashi has been suspended by the league for 80 games following a positive test for PEDs.

6/14/2028

Yankees’ right fielder Stryker Trahan slugged his 300th homerun today. It was a high moment in what has been a rather disappointing season for the 34 year old – he’s batting just .159 for the season.

Monthly Review

June was a decent month for the Padres, as the team went 15-12. The club is now 49-30 for the season, and sits atop the West by 6 games over the Giants. The pitching staff continues to perform extremely well, ranking 2nd in the NL in most categories. The offense has continued to pick up the pace – the club now ranks 5th in BA, 7th in OBP, 1st in strikeouts, and 1st in SB. However, the team still ranks near the bottom in the power categories. At this point in the season, both Bryan Hoeing and Raul Barosio look like Pitcher of the Year candidates. Hoeing is 11-2 with a 2.31 ERA, and Barosio is 7-3 with a 2.40 ERA. Jorge Fernandez continues to dominate out of the pen – 25 SV, 1.01 ERA, .128 BAA, and 0.74 WHIP.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Julian Ruiz (.371 BA, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 21 R), Royals
Top Pitcher – Yuki Matsui (4-2, 2.06 ERA, 48 K), A’s
Rookie – Tetsui Baba (.367 BA, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 11 R), Falcons

NL:

Top Batter – Jose Gonzalez (.324 BA, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R), Mets
Top Pitcher – Bryan Hoeing (5-0, 2.30 ERA, 33 K), Padres
Rookie – Nelson Gonzalez (.298 BA, 0 HR, 16 RBI, 19 R), Cubs

[Sundance]

7/10/2028

The All-Star rosters have been announced! Representing the Padres will be:

SP Bryan Hoeing (12-3, 2.44 ERA)
SP Raul Barosio (8-3, 2.14 ERA)
CL Jorge Fernandez (27 SV, 1.63 ERA)
C Jose Rodriguez (.287/.417/.485, 12 HR, 42 RBI)
2B Chris McKinney (.296/.337/.437, 8 HR, 48 RBI)

Former Padres 1B Justin Bellinger (LAD), 2B Adrian Martinez (MIA), and CF Brad Sutherland (CIN) were also selected.

7/16/2028

Miami’s Dave Wilbraham hit for the cycle in a massive 17-4 victory over the Phillies. The 27 year old center fielder went 4-6 with 6 RBI.

7/17/2028

Seattle right fielder Yasiel Puig hit homerun #300 today. The veteran is having a surprisingly productive year, owning a .295/.346/.472 line.

7/23/2028

Pittsburgh’s Francisco Lindor nabbed hit #2000 in today’s game. He went 2-4 in a 6-5 victory over the Marlins.

7/24/2028

Cole Ragans of the Mets tossed a no-no against the Braves today. The 30 year old struck out 4 and surrendered 3 walks in a 6-0 victory.

7/30/2028

The Twins’ Chris Elliot suffered a season ending injury in today’s game. The right fielder was in obvious pain following a swing and a miss. An MRI has confirmed that he has torn his latissimus dorsi muscle.

Monthly Review

July was a mediocre month for the Padres. The team went 14-13, bringing their overall record to 63-43. The team remains in 1st place in the West, and are now 4.5 games ahead of the Diamondbacks. The bullpen has struggled lately, dropping down to 6th in the NL in ERA. The offense is performing better, and the power numbers have picked up a bit. C Jose Rodriguez now leads the club in HR with 17. The youngsters on the roster have really struggled so far this season. 3B Kyoichi Inoue has a .217/.239/.248 line, SS Alfredo Miranda has a .207/.250/.273 line, and SS Yajirobei Fukuda has a .210/.295/.294 line. SP Bryan Hoeing, SP Raul Barosio, and CL Jorge Fernandez have continued to dominate opposing batters.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Sergio Garcia (.374 BA, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 24 R), Falcons
Top Pitcher – Jose Pinto (4-2, 2.37 ERA, 33 K), Angels
Rookie – Tetsui Baba (.376 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 18 R), Falcons

NL:

Top Batter – Esteban Gonzalez (.397 BA, 9 HR, 26 RBI, 22 R), Nationals
Top Pitcher – Jiovanni Orozco (5-0, 1.31 ERA, 35 K), Phillies
Rookie – Hector Argona (.305 BA, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 12 R), Cubs

[Sundance]

It was unclear whether or not the Padres would make a move this deadline, but it looks like GM Syrio Forel wanted to address the bullpen woes. The Padres sent MR Robinson Yambati, CF Masami Yoshida, prospects LF Ben Jones and 3B Tommy Grant, and their 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th round draft picks to Colorado. In return, San Diego received RHP Arvid de Keizer. The rookie is a hard thrower with 3 good pitches, and a 4th that might develop. So far this season he has 57.2 IP, a 3.90 ERA, and 51 K. Critics think that the Padres might have paid too high a price – sending two prospects and four draft picks for an unheralded and unproven rookie.

[Sundance]

8/10/2028

Avisail Garcia of the Orioles nabbed hit #2500 in today’s game. Garcia has struggled in recent years, but he still holds a career line of .296/.342/.508.

8/30/2028

The Falcons’ Tetsui Baba has extended his hitting streak to 30 games! The standout rookie is hitting .361/.400/.532 with 17 HR and a 5.1 WAR.

In other news around the league, Texas’ Bryce Harper got hit #2500 today. The vet isn’t quite the star that he used to be, but he is still having a productive season for the Rangers. The 35 year old is also just 2 away from HR #400.

Monthly Review

August was a repeat of July for the Padres, as the team went 14-13. The Padres are now 77-56, tied for the best record in baseball, and leading the West by 6 games. The pitching staff is still performing well, but they aren’t quite as dominant as they were to start the season. One point of concern is that the staff has fallen down to 8th in the NL is HR allowed (121). The offense has been producing consistently, now ranking 3rd in BA and 4th in hits.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Pepe Gomez (.408 BA, 10 HR, 23 RBI, 25 R), A’s
Top Pitcher – Joe Ortiz (17 IP, 1.59 ERA, 8 SV, 23 K), Falcons
Rookie – Tetsui Baba (.432 BA, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 21 R), Falcons

NL:

Top Batter – Brad Sutherland (.317 BA, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 22 R), Reds
Top Pitcher – Riley Thompson (5-0, 1.74 ERA, 24 K), Braves
Rookie – Sancho Granados (.347 BA, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 18 R), Nationals

[Sundance]

9/2/2028

Tetsui Baba’s hitting streak has finally come to an end. The rookie reached 31 games before going 0-4 against the Crusaders.

9/4/2028

LF Tim Elmore has been named the NL Player of the Week! Elmore hit .517 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, and 4 R.

9/7/2028

Atlanta’s Xander Bogaerts has reached 2500 hits. For his career, the third baseman is a .273 hitter with 602 doubles and 319 HR.

9/11/2028

Seattle’s Jorge Chavez hit for the cycle today! The third baseman went 4-5 and knocked in 3 in a 6-5 victory over the Tigers.

9/13/2028

Eugene Emeralds reliever Chandler Eden has announced his retirement.

In league news, Yasiel Puig reached hit #2500.

9/14/2028

LF Bryce Harper blasted homerun #400 today in a 1 for 3 effort against the Yankees.

9/21/2028

Fort Wayne reliever Manny Soliz has announced his retirement. The 29 year old signed with the organization as an international free agent, but never developed the way the club had hoped.

9/30/2028

The Storm’s Grant Kay has announced his retirement. A 6th round draft pick in 2014, the second baseman bounced around the organization's minor league clubs, but never made it to the big show.

Monthly Review

The Padres appear to be getting hot at the right time. The team went 20-7 in the month of September. The club’s overall record is now 97-63, extending their lead over 2nd place Arizona to 11 games. Forel’s efforts to strengthen the bullpen seem to have paid off, as they now rank 3rd in ERA. I’m going to keep this review a bit brief – we’re nearing the end of the season and I don’t want to sound like a broken record when I do my Good/Bad write-up.

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Hector Salas (.367 BA, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 19 R), Astros
Top Pitcher – Bobby Meyers (4-1, 1.72 ERA, 41 K), Rangers
Rookie – Tsugahara Hasegawa (.315 BA, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 18 R), Indians

NL:

Top Batter – Alex Chavarria (.330 BA, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 19 R), Nationals
Top Pitcher – Eric Poe (4-1, 1.13 ERA, 46 K), Cardinals
Rookie – Alex Chavarria (.330 BA, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 19 R), Nationals

[Sundance]

The Padres finished in 1st place in the NL West with a record of 98-66. They finished 11 games ahead of 2nd place Arizona. San Diego is one of the hottest teams in baseball right now and will be looking to carry that momentum throughout the playoffs. The pitching staff seems to have regained their top-notch form, making them one of the toughest teams to go up against. The offense continues to struggle to produce power, but they are constantly putting the ball in play and pressuring opposing pitchers and defenses with their speed and aggressiveness. The team finished the season ranked 3rd in BA, 4th in hits, 1st in K, and 1st in SB.

[Sundance]

In the Wildcard round, the A’s took on the Blue Jays, while the Marlins squared off against the Diamondbacks. Oakland earned an 8-5 victory, while Arizona beat up on Miami 12-6.

Divisional Series

Oakland (3) – Kansas City (0)

Game 1: A’s 3-2
Game 2: A’s 4-3
Game 3: A’s 10-9

Standout Performances:

RF Toshiharu Honma (.438/.389/.625, 5 RBI), A’s

Texas (3) – Baltimore (1)

Game 1: Rangers 8-2
Game 2: Orioles 8-7
Game 3: Rangers 11-4
Game 4: Rangers 6-4

Standout Performances:

3B Victor Herrera (.333/.350/.500, 6 RBI), Rangers
CF Stan Kennett (.412/.444/1.000, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Rangers
2B Alfredo Soto (.467/.556/.733, 4 RBI), Rangers
SP Bobby Myers (1-0, 16.0 IP, 14 K, 2.81 ERA), Rangers
C Jesus Garcia (.471/.500/1.059, 3 HR, 5 RBI), Orioles
1B Will Benson (.313/.389/.938, 3 HR, 6 RBI), Orioles

Arizona (0) – San Diego (3)

Game 1: Padres 10-6
Game 2: Padres 8-7
Game 3: Padres 6-4

Standout Performances:

C Juan Avila (.385/.385/.615, 4 RBI), Diamondbacks
SS John Devine (.615/.615/.923), Diamondbacks
RF Jed Hudson (.400/.538/1.100, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Diamondbacks
CF Ismael Nunez (.300/.500/.900, 2 HR, 4 RBI), Diamondbacks
RF Edouard Kieffer (.500/.500/714, 4 RBI), Padres
SS Brendan Rodgers (.500/.571/1.250, 3 HR, 6 RBI), Padres

Indianapolis (3) – New York (1)

Game 1: Crusaders 6-0
Game 2: Mets 4-1
Game 3: Crusaders 5-4
Game 4: Crusaders 3-0

Standout Performances:

2B Roger Stackhouse (.471/.500/.706), Crusaders
SP Pete Petit (2-0, 15 IP, 21 K, 0.00 ERA), Crusaders
SP Blair Henley (0-2, 11.2 IP, 18 K, 2.31 ERA), Mets

League Series

Oakland (4) – Texas (3)

Game 1: Rangers 4-1
Game 2: A’s 1-0
Game 3: Rangers 6-3
Game 4: Rangers 8-3
Game 5: A’s 8-7
Game 6: A’s 6-5
Game 7: A’s 6-0

Standout Performances:

CF Bob Green (.333/.360/.500, 5 RBI), A’s
SS R.J. King (.333/.407/.417), Rangers
3B Victor Herrera (.364/.391/.545), Rangers

Indianapolis (0) – San Diego (4)

Game 1: Padres 5-2
Game 2: Padres 6-4
Game 3: Padres 3-1
Game 4: Padres 6-4

Standout Performances:

2B Roger Stackhouse (.375/.412/.500, 3 RBI), Crusaders
2B Chris McKinney (.357/.438/.571), Padres

Championship Series

San Diego (3) – Oakland (4)

Game 1: A’s 2-1
Game 2: A’s 3-2
Game 3: Padres 5-4
Game 4: Padres 8-1
Game 5: A’s 6-4
Game 6: Padres 6-5
Game 7: A’s 4-2

Standout Performances:

LF Tim Elmore (.387/.394/.677, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Padres
RF Bernardo Orosco (.355/.394/.548, 5 RBI), Padres
C Jose Rodriguez (3 HR, 7 RBI), Padres
SS Javier Baez (5 RBI), A’s

[Sundance]

The Good

C Jose Rodriguez
.275/.392/.468, 23 HR, 78 RBI, 92 BB, 4.8 WAR. The 28 year old posted very similar numbers to last year. His BA and SLG dropped a bit, but he had a huge increase in walks, racking up 92 free passes. He continues to impress.

2B Chris McKinney
.285/.330/.411, 5 3B, 11 HR, 69 RBI, 4.2 WAR. Ant turned in another very respectable year. The 30 year old has been remarkably consistent, not veering far off from his .281/.329/.422 career line.

LF Tim Elmore
.304/.341/.442, 31 2B, 18 HR, 83 RBI, 5.5 WAR. This was exactly the sort of year that the Padres were hoping for out of Elmore. The 25 year old seemed to take a giant leap forward, making massive improvements over last season in his hit total (+61), 2B (+12), and his batting line (+.40/+.38/+.16).

RF Bernard Orosco
.328/.383/.502, 6 3B, 14 HR, 32 SB, 5.9 WAR. After missing the first 8 weeks of the season, the Padres eased Orosco back into the swing of things. It wasn’t until a couple of months had passed that the Padres finally set him free; although by then, there simply wasn’t enough time to reach his normal amount of stolen bases. Despite the limitations on his base running, Orosco still managed to put out a very productive year.

RF Edouard Kieffer
.259/.334/.461, 39 2B, 25 HR, 106 RBI, 4.5 WAR. 2028 was a bit of a surprise from the 2nd year man. Given an opportunity to start, the 22 year old saw a massive jump in his hits (+85), doubles (+25), HR (+18), and RBI (+67). He was also the only Padre to break 100 RBI for the season. Although not quite the diamond in the rough that Jose Rodriguez is, Kieffer seems to be quite the surprise. He was a 3rd round draft pick in 2024 whose overall and potential rating has jumped from 20/20 to 71/71.

The Starting Pitching
Burrows (15-4, 128 k, 2.80 ERA, 3.7 WAR)
Castillo (16-10, 193 K, 3.22 ERA, 4.1 WAR)
Hoeing (17-8, 145 K, 2.51 ERA, 3.9 WAR)
Spotelli (12-10, 223 K, 3.09 ERA, 3.6 WAR)
Barosio (15-8, 154 K, 2.92 ERA, 4.5 WAR)
The starters were beyond excellent this season. They kept us in every single game and were very strong across the board. There were no breaks for opposing lineups; no days were they could relax because every outing was against a top-notch pitcher.

MR Subaru Ohayashi
67.2 IP, 17 Holds, 68 K, 2.39 ERA, 1.1 WAR. With the emergence of Barosio, Ohayashi hasn’t gotten the chance to break into the starting rotation quite yet. And although the 27 year old is unhappy about his role on the team, he hasn’t let that affect his performance on the field. 2028 was his best season yet as a professional.

CL Jorge Fernandez
85.1 IP, 49 SV, 115 K, 2.85 ERA, .168 BAA, 1.0 WAR. 2028 was a big step forward for the 24 year old. His numbers improved across the board, and if he can keep this up, he should be one of the premiere closers in the league.

The Bad

Me
When I was adjusting the settings at the beginning of the season I apparently disabled injuries. I didn’t realize this until August/September. Also, I didn’t realize that the AI was resetting my player strategies. For some reason it didn’t want Orosco stealing, even though he is one of the best in the biz.

1B Juan Hernandez
.265/.336/.410, 42 2B, 15 HR, 77 RBI, 123 K, 2.3 WAR. His numbers weren’t all that bad, but he makes the list because he simply didn’t have the impact that I was hoping for. He had hit 21, 28, and 34 HR in the previous 3 years, so his 15 in 2028 were pretty disappointing.

3B Kyoichi Inoue
.232/.252/.258, -0.6 WAR. I wasn’t expecting Inoue to develop into a star, but I was hoping that he would be serviceable. Granted, most of his playing time came off of the bench, but it was very disappointing to see his numbers take such a massive turn in the wrong direction.

SS Alfredo Miranda
.219/.263/.279, -1.1 WAR. Miranda’s first full season with the club was a rather disappointing one. On the plus side, he did continue to develop as the year progressed. He’s just a kid and he has a bright future ahead of him, but 2028 will be a year that he’ll want to forget.

[Sundance]

Here's how we stacked up against the rest of the NL

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League Batting Leaders

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League Pitching Leaders