The San Diego Padres are going to come into the 2026 season with a ton of expectations. They battle with the two-time defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the NL West; however, they have been one of the few teams in the National League with the capability of taking them down. It won't be easy, but the Padres have a roster worthy of winning a World Series; they just need a few things out of their control to go their way.
The roster is led by Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Nick Pivetta, Michael King, Joe Musgrove, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller. Many others will show up and play well, but that is the core group right there.
Here is what a potential Padres lineup could look like if the season were to start today.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. RF
- Jackson Merrill CF
- Manny Machado 3B
- Xander Bogaerts SS
- Ramon Laureano LF
- Gavin Sheets DH
- Miguel Andujar 1B
- Jake Cronenworth 2B
- Freddy Fermin C
The bench will likely contain infielder Sung-Mun Song, shortstop Mason McCoy, outfielder Bryce Johnson, and Luis Campusano or Blake Hunt as the backup catcher. Will Wagner and Tirso Ornelas, who are on the 40-man roster, will have opportunities to make the roster this spring.
What this lineup tells you above is that the positions are just about set. The Padres could sign a few more free agents or make a trade, though the trade would more than likely be for a starting pitcher. San Diego has been linked to Nick Castellanos as the former Phillie was released on Thursday. If the Friars were to take a chance on him, he could rotate at first base and play DH in San Diego.
Outside of first base, the Friars don't have a positional battle for positional players. Sheets and Andujar can either rotate at first base or DH, depending on who turns out to be the better defender. Sheets can play left field as well if needed. However, the final slots of the pitching rotation could come down to four or five pitchers.
Pivetta, King, Musgrove, and Randy Vasquez will likely be the top four in the rotation. That leaves JP Sears, Matt Waldron, Triston McKenzie, and Miguel Mendez as potential 5th starters. McKenzie is not on the 40-man roster yet, but the other three names are. Southpaw Kyle Hart also seems like a bullpen piece right now, not a starter.
1 spring training position battle that could shape Padres' season
The position battle that will shape the Padres' season will be the battle for the 5th starter spot. Whoever pitches better in the spring may have a chance to start early in the season for the Friars. Let's give a rundown on the four main names who could jump into the rotation.
JP Sears
Sears came to San Diego as a part of the Mason Miller blockbuster trade with the Athletics ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline last year. Sears did not pitch well with the Friars (5.47 ERA & -0.1 WAR) and was taken out of the rotation late in the season.
Sears is a career 4.53 ERA pitcher with similar numbers across the board each season. He began his career with the New York Yankees in 2022, pitching very well with a 2.05 ERA in 22 innings. Once he was traded to Oakland (at the time), his numbers dropped.
The Padres are hoping he can use this offseason to become a legit starter and more than just an inning-stuffer in 2026. San Diego needs left-handed pitching, and he may be the only one they have in the rotation.
Matt Waldron
Waldron is a former starter for the Padres who is famous for his knuckleball. He pitched only one game in the majors in 2025, dealing with an injury and mostly pitching in the minor leagues. In his one start of 2025, he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs to the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 2024, Waldron started 24 games and finished with a 4.91 ERA in 146.2 innings, striking out 133 hitters. Waldron must showcase major improvement this spring in order to get the nod at the 5th starter. The sky is the limit for the knuckleballer.
Triston McKenzie
McKenzie is a former starter for the Cleveland Guardians. McKenzie has shown major promise in his career, but dealt with aggravating injuries the last few seasons.
2022 was his best season, finishing with an electric 2.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 190 strikeouts in 191.1 innings. He started 30 games and won 11 of them, earning a 4.0 WAR for the season.
McKenzie is just 28 years old, so he has plenty of gas left in his right arm. He could emerge as a legit option for the Padres at the end of the rotation. He has more experience than any of his competitors on the roster and is back with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, who was his pitching coach in Cleveland from 2020 to 2021.
Miguel Mendez
Mendez is a starter on the Padres' 40-man roster. He does not have any major league experience, but was the No. 5 prospect in their system last year and will remain top 5-10 again this season. He has a career 4.48 ERA in 293 innings in the minors. He is a strikeout genius with 329 for his career, striking out 118 last season.
