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The San Diego Padres didn't go on the tear everyone expected them to go on after the 2022 MLB trade deadline, but they still managed to sneak into the playoffs as the fifth seed in the National League. That may have been the worst case scenario, though, as they will have to take on the New York Mets, who won 101 games this season, in the Wild Card round.
There were certainly easier matchups for the Padres to start their postseason campaign off, but that doesn't mean they are automatically toast. San Diego has a ton of talent on their roster heading into the playoffs, and that should serve them well in this series. If they get hot at the right time, they could go on a deep run from out of nowhere.
Doing that is going to be easier said than done, though, especially given the Padres struggles throughout the season. With their series against the Mets set to kick off later today, let's take a look at three bold predictions for the Padres in their Wild Card matchup with the Mets.
3. Josh Hader will blow a save for the Padres in Game 1
One of the Padres many trade deadline acquisitions, Josh Hader hasn't exactly panned out the way many expected he would. San Diego was happy to move on from Taylor Rodgers, who had 28 saves, but a 4.35 ERA, in return for Hader. Hader had fairly similar numbers through the first half of the season with the Milwaukee Brewers (29 saves with a 4.24 ERA) but he also had a track record of being one of the best relievers in the game for quite some time.
That track record certainly didn't come in handy for the Padres during the second half of the season. Hader completely fell apart over the second half of the season, posting a hideous 7.31 ERA and just seven saves over 16 innings of work for San Diego. Hader had a strong final month of the season, though (0.87 ERA from September on) and gradually began to find his way back in save situations.
In Game 1, Hader will get the ball, and be asked to protect a 4-3 lead. But he is unable to do so, and allows the Mets to walk things off to open the series, putting San Diego on the ropes from the get go. It will be another rough outing in a season that has been full of them for the once reliable Hader, leaving many to wonder what his future with the team will be.
2. Juan Soto will be held without a hit for the Padres in this series
Easily the biggest trade deadline acquisition for any team throughout the MLB was Juan Soto for the Padres. Soto is a transcendent talent who is still just 23 years old, and his arrival was expected to push the Padres over the top in the National League.
Instead, Soto struggled for much of his time with the Padres. He wasn't having his best season through the first half of the year with the Washington Nationals (.246 BA, 21 HR, 46 RBI, .894 OPS) but he took a step back during the second half of the season with the Padres (.236 BA, 6 HR, 16 RBI, .778 OPS). That simply isn't enough from Soto.
Soto's struggles will continue in the postseason, with the Mets pitching staff intent on not giving him anything to hit. Soto will draw a pair of walks throughout the series, but that will be the only way he gets on base. It will continue a tough season for Soto, and the hope is that he will be able to bounce back next season.
1. The Padres will lose to the Mets in two games
The Padres have the talent to make this a series, but they have shown all season long that they aren't capable of playing up to their expectations. Against a talented Mets team that is only in the Wild Card round because of how strong the Atlanta Braves are, that won't bode well for San Diego.
Going up against studs such as Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer certainly won't help, but the Padres one-two punch of Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish will hold their own against the Mets. Unfortunately, the lineup will get shut down for much of this two game set, and put those starts to waste.
When all is said and done, this will be a very short playoff run for the Padres. They do have the misfortune of running into the Mets early on, but truthfully, their roster just isn't up to par this season. San Diego has failed to meet expectations all season long, and against a talented Mets team, their postseason stint will be over after just two games.
