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The San Diego Padres are having a solid season, going 27-20 and coming into the day in third place while trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2 1/2 games. Yet, some issues could prevent the Padres from reaching their potential, and players who are struggling to perform. Three players on the team have Padres fans fed up with their lackluster performance, and all must do more to help the team win.
The Padres' odds of winning the World Series increase as they improve daily. Yet, they have not hit their full potential and keep experiencing some setbacks, such as the 14-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays this week. While players like Manny Machado have consistently hit the baseball, others have struggled. Likewise, the pitching staff is not nearly as scary as before.
While the Padres have a great lineup that includes Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Machado, and Jackson Merrill, it also has lower-tier hitters who have not done as well. Likewise, the pitching staff is 10th in baseball, but there are a few weak spots. The Padres' fan base is fed up with these three players, and all of them must do more to improve the goodwill among the fans.
Xander Bogaerts must find his hitting stroke
When the Padres signed Xander Bogaerts to a megacontract, they believed they were getting one of the best hitters in baseball. At the time, they were, as Bogaerts was coming off a season where he hit .307 with 15 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 84 runs. While the Padres got somewhat similar numbers in 2023, the slight decline was evident, and alarm bells went off, signaling that something was wrong.
Bogaerts's decline was steeper in 2024, when he batted just .264 with only 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 50 runs through 111 games while dealing with an injury. Ultimately, the Padres believed that the injuries limited him, and that was probably the reason for his struggles. But the decline did not stop, and it has continued this season.
Bogaerts is batting just .242 with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and 20 runs through 47 games. Unfortunately, his struggles have continued, and a guy who once hit .309 with 33 home runs, 117 RBIs, and 110 runs for the Boston Red Sox in 2019 looks completely different. Bogaerts' decline has driven fans wild, and he is just not getting the job done in the Padres' lineup, despite hitting behind Tatis, Arraez, Machado, and Merrill.
Dylan Cease struggles with his pitches
Dylan Cease is on an expiring contract, and the Padres might not renew it. Unfortunately, he may give them a reason to trade him, as Cease has not been consistent at all. After going 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA last season, Cease has struggled to find the same success this season.
Cease is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA through 10 starts. While he has tossed three straight quality starts, he has still not fully recovered from a horrible start to the 2025 season. Of course, the inflated ERA can be attributed to the loss in April against the Athletics, where he allowed nine earned runs through four innings. However, if you remove that game from his ledger, Cease has a 3.49 ERA.
While that game was a huge blemish on his ledger, Cease has had better success. Yet, Padres fans are still a little concerned about his ability to pitch well throughout the season. Cease must avoid making critical mistakes down the heart of the plate.
Wandy Peralta has faltered in the pen
The Padres' bullpen has had some consistency issues this season. While closer Robert Suarez remains as effective and dangerous as ever, others have not had the same success. Wandy Peralta has been one such reliever who has struggled to find his place in the San Diego bullpen.
Peralta has labored this season, going 2-0 with a 5.30 ERA through 20 relief appearances. Conversely, he performed much better last season when he went 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA over 46 games. Is there potential for Peralta to turn it around?
Petalta is a lefty specialist who usually induces ground balls. Therefore, he relies heavily on a sinker and a changeup to fool hitters and throw off timing. But Peralta has had games where that has not worked, such as an appearance against the New York Yankees, where he allowed six earned runs, including a grand slam.
Indicators suggest Peralta has a chance to turn it around. Before the 2024 season, he had produced three straight seasons under a 3.00 ERA. While he has been pitching since the 2016 season, Peralta can still be effective when he finds his control and locates his pitches. Consequently, he has also shown fans that he can be awful if he does not harness his pitch and it gets too much over the middle of the plate.
