The San Diego Padres are in the thick of the MLB playoff race and will likely be playing in October again. Now, they need to rectify their playoff struggles and go further. While some believe the Padres are doomed to fail, they will go as far as Manny Machado can take them. Ultimately, there are three Padres players to watch, and it will be interesting to see how they do.
San Diego currently has odds of +1300 to win the World Series, according to FanDuel. Overall, that gives them the eighth-best odds to win the title. The consensus is that they will make the MLB playoffs, but how far will they go? If you recall, the Padres lost in the National League Divisional Series 3-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
Machado will be ready as always. Yet, there are three Padres players to watch who could be the pivotal guys to help get this team into the next stage. These three Padres players must step up to help San Diego reach baseball immortality in 2025.
Fernando Tatis Jr. must match Manny Machado in everything
Fernando Tatis Jr. clobbered a walk-off hit this week, showcasing his capability. So far, he is having a good season. Tatis is batting .262 with 21 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 97 runs. Tatis, like many of his teammates, will need to do more to help Machado.
Tatis went 10 for 18 against the Dodgers last season in the NLDS. Overall, he was fantastic. Tatis hit two home runs in Game 2 and a two-run shot in Game 3. Things looked like they were going well. Then, everything went south. Tatis, like the rest of his team, sputtered over the last two games, when the Padres did not score for 24 consecutive innings. Tatis went 1 for 10 across Games 4 and 5.
If the Padres are to go far in the playoffs, they need Tatis to hit the baseball consistently. Assuming they can get past the Chicago Cubs in a potential three-game NL Wild Card Series, they would likely face the Milwaukee Brewers. The offense cannot go silent again, and Tatis needs to lead the charge.
Ryan O'Hearn is one of the new Padres players
When the Padres traded for Ryan O'Hearn, they thought they had a new powerful bat in their lineup. Instead, it has not worked out that way. The Padres rank 29th in home runs, 23rd in runs, and 26th in slugging percentage. Unfortunately, O'Hearn has not been consistent.
O'Hearn is batting .274 with 16 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 61 runs. However, he is hitting just .250 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, and 16 runs over 35 games with the Padres. If the Padres are to make a mark in the MLB playoffs, they need O'Hearn to step up. Moreover, they need him to be a threat with runners in scoring position. That is something the team struggled with throughout the season. Can O'Hearn pick it up? The Padres certainly need him to.
O'Hearn is finally getting a full-time opportunity. Yet, it does not seem like he has done much with the chance. The Padres need O'Hearn to get things going, especially if they are to survive a three-game NL Wild Card Series with the Cubs and then an NLDS series with an even-better Brewers team.
Luis Arraez must do more
Going back to last season, Luis Arraez was among the many reasons the Padres lost to the Dodgers. Arraez went 4 for 22 in the NLDS against Los Angeles. Alarmingly, he just could not get anything going, and that is something that cannot happen again, as the Padres are poised for another playoff run.
Arraez is usually at the top of the lineup. If San Diego is to make a serious run, then he cannot have a major slump. The Padres went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position in Game 4. Unfortunately, Arraez was among the contributors to that statline, being unable to drive anyone home. The leadoff hitters were unable to generate anything, and it set up the rest of the lineup for failure.
While the Padres' bullpen collapsed recently in a game against the Reds, they are not the issue. San Diego currently has the best bullpen in baseball, and the rotation is solid. What this team needs is for the hitters to play well in October. Although that does not always happen, teams that usually win the title get hot hitting at the right time. These three Padres players all have the potential to have a great October and lead their team to a title. Now, they have to go out and do well at the plate to relieve the pressure off their pitching staff.
