Padres Bounce Back Season

This was supposed to be a year for the San Diego Padres to regroup.

They traded star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees in December following a disappointing 2023 season. Ownership cut the payroll by $50 million on the heels of beloved owner Peter Seidler dying last year.

However, this is far from a lost season for the Padres. They have rebounded strongly from last year’s 82-80 finish when they had to win their last five games to move over .500 for the only time all season.

The Padres are 74-58 and within striking distance of the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers despite being in third place. They are 4.5 games behind their rivals to the north and 1.5 behind the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Padres, 24-8 since the All-Star break, also hold the second of three NL wild cards and are three games clear of fourth-place New York after splitting a four-game weekend series with the Mets in San Diego.

The Padres’ spot in the standings is even more impressive because they have been without injured star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. since June 22. Right-hander Yu Darvish returned to the team last week after being away for family reasons but hasn’t pitched since May 29.

So, just how have the Padres wedged their way into contention?

They have been solid on both sides of the ball, ranking 11th in the major leagues in runs scored with an average of 4.73 runs a game and 13th in runs allowed at 4.25.

However, one doesn’t have to hang around the Padres’ clubhouse to realize the atmosphere has changed. You could feel the tension in the air last season during Bob Melvin’s second season as manager. It is a much happier group this year with Mike Shildt being promoted from special assistant to replace Melvin.

“I’m not a writer, I don’t know those words to explain to you what it really is,” star third baseman Manny Machado said. “It’s just different, man. I think everyone here gets along, we all push for each other. We all want the best. We all pick up each other at the end of the day. That’s all you can ask for.

“When guys are picking up each other, you just have nothing but respect for every single one of them. You want to go out there and battle -- continue to battle every single day, continue to battle every single out. That’s what this team’s made of.”

Shildt, who was the NL Manager of the Year in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals, succinctly sums up his team’s style of play.

“Take everything, give nothing away,” Shildt told Draft Nation. “When opportunities present themselves, we take advantage.”

Catcher Kyle Higashioka concurs. He was one of five players, including four pitchers, acquired from the Yankees in the Soto trade.

“We always grind it out and never give up hope,” Higashioka said.

It also helps to have the NL Rookie of the Year favorite. Center fielder Jackson Merrill is hitting .288/.319/.488 with 19 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 127 games.

The 21-year-old has also been solid defensively despite transitioning from shortstop in spring training. Merrill was also selected to the All-Star Game after finishing last season with a 46-game stint in Double-A.

Merrill hit a walk-off homer Sunday to beat the Mets.

Merrill is one of the few prospects that general manager A.J. Preller has held on to. The Padres have traded 12 of their top 15 minor-leaguers over the last 5 ½ months, starting by sending a package of youngsters to the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Dylan Cease, who threw a no-hitter last month.

Preller traded with the Miami Marlins for two-time batting champion Luis Arraez in early May to serve as the designated hitter. The Padres have perhaps the deepest bullpen in the major leagues after acquiring All-Star left-hander Tanner Scott and right-hander Bryan Hoeing from the Marlins and righty Jason Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays last month at the deadline

Preller striking to acquire star players in spring training and early in the season bucks the trend of recent years in which few deals are made during those periods. The strategy is paying off.

“I just loved the fact that A.J. looked at the big picture early on,” Shildt said. “Traditionally those trades are made at the deadline, but AJ is always exploring the options and we ended up with two players who we really wanted.”