2 SAN DIEGO PADRES
O/U WINS: 94.5
KEY PLAYER:
Fernando Tatis
Jr. (right). One of the most entertaining players to watch in MLB locked up his future in the offseason, inking a
14-year,
$340 million extension.
With that taken care of, the 22-year-old can turn his focus to what he hopes is his first full, 162game season.
PLAYER WHO’LL NEED TO STEP UP: Much like Pete Alonso, whom he battled early for the NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, Chris Paddack endured a sophomore slump last year, posting a 4.73 ERA in 12 starts. The right-hander getting back to his rookie form would bolster an already deep rotation. NAME YOU’LL GET TO KNOW: MacKenzie Gore. The 22-year-old left-hander is a top-10 prospect who should make his MLB debut this year. The Padres’ additions of Yu Darvish,
Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove give Gore time to make sure he’s ready, but it may not be long before he’s up with them. BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Who’s going to close out games? Former starter Drew Pomeranz emerged as the Padres’ go-to reliever late last season, but he has battled forearm inflammation in camp. Trevor Rosenthal is now in Oakland. Could a mix of Emilio Pagan and Mark Melancon get it done?
HOW IT’LL GO DOWN: The Padres didn’t settle after their young core led them to the postseason last October, following that up by being one of the most active teams in the offseason. Their new rotation is one of the best in baseball, and if Dinelson Lamet is able to return to form from the elbow injury that kept him out of the playoffs, it’ll be an even bigger boost. Their infield of Tatis, Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Jake Cronenworth all had huge seasons last year, which the Padres will need more of if they are going to give the Dodgers a run for their money. They should make it a fun race either way.
PROJECTED LINEUP CF Tommy Pham SS Fernando Tatis Jr. 3B Manny Machado 1B Eric Hosmer
RF Wil Myers
2B Jake Cronenworth C Victor Caratini LF Jurickson Profar
ROTATION
RHP Yu Darvish LHP Blake Snell RHP Joe Musgrove RHP Chris Paddack LHP Adrian Morejon