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The San Diego Padres made some franchise history with their 5-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. The NL West has been a tier above all other divisions in the MLB with three teams that are seven games or more above .500. That includes the Padres, who stand at 19-11 and are in second place behind the defending World Series champion Dodgers. The headline players so far for San Diego have been star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., along with a few starting pitchers who are off to stellar starts.
And with this win over the Giants, this group already stands alone. Padres beat reporter for MLB.com, AJ Cassavell, broke down the historic implications of this result.
“In the first meeting between any two of the four NL West contenders this season, the Padres beat the Giants twice at Petco Park this week. They finish April at 19-11, tying the 1998 club for most wins in franchise history before May.”
The Padres are looking to take that good-to-great jump
For the most part, since 2020, the San Diego Padres have been a stable franchise within the MLB. The Padres have made it to the postseason in three out of five years and were one series away from winning the National League Pennant in 2022. This franchise has been close to being a true contender for a while, as it looks to win its first World Series ever. It's early, but the Padres have shown signs of taking that next step in 2025.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has led the charge with an MVP-caliber season to this point. The two-time All-Star leads the Padres in all major hitting stats and has an OPS that ranks sixth overall. All-MLB pitcher Michael King is also continuing his form from last season and is currently 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA. But one of the surprises of the season so far has been free-agency signing Nick Pivetta. The 32-year-old would be one of the frontrunners for the Cy Young award if voting were to happen today. Through six starts, Pivetta is 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA.
Overall, it's a long way till October, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are still the favorites in the NL West. But amid a stacked National League, the Padres are starting to emerge as a legitimate threat, and this year's start could be a sign that this group might eventually reach unprecedented territory.
