This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell¡¯s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
After a thrilling series win at Petco Park this week, the Padres are now 3-3 against the Cubs this season -- and 12-1 against the rest of the league.
It¡¯s only mid-April, but that season series is now over. They won¡¯t face the Cubs again until, at the earliest, October. Here are six Padres takeaways from this week¡¯s three-game set between the two NL contenders:
1. This version of Fernando Tatis Jr. could win MVP
It's not the home runs. We knew those were coming. It's not the steals or the elite defense. If Tatis was healthy, that was coming, too.
It's the strides Tatis has seemingly made in his plate discipline. His whiff rate is down. His strikeout rate is down. His walk rate is up. Tatis is forcing pitchers into the strike zone so far this season. If he continues doing that, he¡¯ll continue seeing results like these:
Through 17 games, Tatis had tied the Major League lead with six home runs, while hitting .354 with a 1.073 OPS. Combine that with the elite defense and baserunning, and that¡¯s an MVP pace.
2. There are questions at the bottom of the lineup
There¡¯s some merit to the idea that the bottom of the Padres¡¯ lineup doesn¡¯t need to produce much. The top half of the order is one of the best in baseball. The pitching staff looks like one of the best in baseball. If the bottom third can defend and provide occasional offense, that should be enough.
Thus far, they¡¯ve met that bar. But with injuries piling up in the top half of the lineup, the Padres suddenly might need a bit more from their role players. They¡¯ll take the current level of production they¡¯re getting at catcher (given the demands at the position). Gavin Sheets has emerged as a force (and a fan favorite). Tyler Wade had a huge game on Wednesday. But a few other bottom-of-the-order players, namely Yuli Gurriel and Jason Heyward, must contribute.
3. As the Padres get healthier, they're going to face tough decisions
Speaking of those role players ...
Gurriel, for instance, made the roster over two other righty-hitting options in Oscar Gonzalez and Connor Joe. Now all three are with the club. So is the lefty-hitting Wade, who was recently selected and could take playing time from Heyward.
In the meantime, Jackson Merrill did light running drills before Wednesday¡¯s game. Jake Cronenworth did light defensive work. There's still no timetable for either. But when they get healthy and return to the roster, the Padres will face the same questions they faced during Spring Training regarding the composition of their bench.
4. Randy V¨¢squez could be blossoming into a weapon
The Padres saw their 11-game season-opening home winning streak snapped on Tuesday. But the most notable development might¡¯ve been more excellent work from V¨¢squez.
A year ago, V¨¢squez was up-and-down between Triple-A El Paso and the Majors. He was a fill-in piece. An important fill-in piece, as it turned out. But he never found a rhythm with the big league club.
This year, he has. And the Padres might have something here. V¨¢squez has posted a 1.74 ERA, and he¡¯s done an excellent job limiting slug and hard contact. With Joe Musgrove out for the season and Yu Darvish on the IL, V¨¢squez¡¯s emergence has been one of the most crucial storylines of the young season.
5. The Jose Iglesias signing has proven a shrewd one
¡°But where does he fit?¡± Some version of that question was asked in early March after the Padres signed Iglesias. As is usually the case, that question resolved itself rather quickly.
The Padres had a full infield for two weeks, and little playing time available for Iglesias. Then Cronenworth landed on the IL, and now Iglesias is filling in seamlessly at second base. He¡¯s also able to move around the diamond, bringing his excellent glove to short and third when needed.
Let¡¯s not forget, the Padres lost one of the best defenders in baseball when Ha-Seong Kim left for Tampa Bay. When they signed Iglesias, a team evaluator put it to me that the Padres wanted to maintain the defensive identity they¡¯d established in 2024 at all costs. Seems to me they¡¯ve done exactly that by signing Iglesias.
6. Petco Park is a party, daily
Game 1 of the Cubs series was something else. More than 47,000 fans on a Monday night in April. And as the Padres began their comeback, that crowd seemed to lift them.
¡°Our play is equaling the crowd, the crowd is equaling our play -- I don¡¯t know which way you want to look at it,¡± said manager Mike Shildt. ¡°You¡¯re talking about a Monday night, and this place is jammed and rocking. It means a ton.¡±
The home winning streak may be over. The home-field advantage, I expect, will remain alive and well throughout the summer.