Justin Upton, left fielder, Padres
What’s up: Rockies fans will get their first close look at the revamped Padres at Coors Field on Monday night. What used to be the most anemic offense in baseball now has the potential to be one of the best. Justin Upton, the cleanup hitter, already had three home runs entering Saturday, including a go-ahead solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning in San Diego’s 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Background: The multitalented Upton is back in the National League West, where he began his big-league career. He played six seasons with Arizona, making his debut at age 19, before landing with Atlanta for two seasons. The Padres acquired Upton in a trade with Atlanta during the winter meetings when they shook up the baseball world. In the span of 24 hours, San Diego acquired its entire starting outfield: Upton, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp. Myers’ three-run homer in the seventh inning beat the Cubs 5-4 on Friday.
Saunders’ take: Upton adds more punch to San Diego’s lineup. He was hitting .317 entering Saturday, and he has a solid track record against Colorado: .296 average with 20 home runs and a .949 OPS in 93 games. He has not torn up Coors Field: .276 average, eight homers and an .839 OPS in 47 games.
The Padres’ lineup is much better than it was, but I’d still give the Rockies the advantage. It’s the Padres’ pitching — they added starter James Shields and closer Craig Kimbrel — that makes them true contenders in the NL West.