San Diego Padres outlook For The Season

By Steve Atkinson 

The San Diego Padres season begins March 20th against the Dodgers in Korea. After watching their spring training games this year it seems the Padres are more together as a team this year than last year. I think Bob Melvin lost his team in spring training last year and that carried throughout the season. It seems Mike Schildt has done a better job at connecting with the players.

I know the season hasn’t started but they seem to be hitting with runners in scoring position. Last year they couldn’t even get any runners home that were on base. It seems they are at least hitting the ball better and scoring runs this spring.

The Padres should be able to split against the Dodgers in two weeks. But they should be above .500 for the majority of the season. Yeah, they lost Juan Soto but Jackson Merrill is going to make the team. He is hitting the baseball every time he gets an at-bat this spring.

Fernando Tatis Jr. Hopes Merrill makes the major league roster

Padres Should Keep Jackson Merrill on the Roster

He just can play ball. He can play ball — like real baseball, baseball that should be played every single day. The guy can play that game. I see him hit, see him playing defense, see him running the bases, and the guy is gonna help in every single area.” You need that attitude to bring to the field,” Tatis said. “Somebody will express it more, some people will hold it a little more. But you still have that attitude inside of you. The guy’s a ballplayer. He’s gonna play winning baseball every time he steps on the field.”

They need some young power in the lineup and he constantly gets on base. He would be a great asset to the roster.

Xander Will Have A Shot At Second Base

Xander Bogaerts is now a second baseman after switching positions with Kim who now plays shortstop. Here is what the manager said a couple of weeks ago about the change

“I don’t want to misrepresent: Xander Bogaerts played a really good shortstop for the San Diego Padres last year and was a positive part of us,” Shildt said. “But now you look at it, and you do have a guy in Kimmy that also won a Gold Glove as a utility infielder. I will never speak for Bogey. … But he recognizes Kimmy’s value at shortstop and is a good teammate for that.”

I think Xander just wants to win at the end of the day. If second base helps bring a championship to San Diego then so be it.

Michael King is in the starting rotation for the Padres

As for the pitching staff Musgrove and Darvish are the top pitchers. Michael King who came here after the Juan Soto trade will start for the Padres this season.

You start with King. he has made 19 (career) starts. He has pitched in the bullpen in the past but has started all the way back at Boston College and has done a nice job in his (MLB) starts. He’s coming in as a starter for us, and we’re excited about him. His reputation of being a real pro, having a high care factor, good work ethic, all the positive intangibles you want, are true in spades. This guy is really a together guy. So he’s clearly gonna get the opportunity.

 

It is yet to be determined who the Padres starter will be at the end of the rotation. I think with Soto gone there’s less of a selfish attitude on the team and I think they’ll be better off.