The San Diego Padres are trying to bounce back in 2024 following their frustrating 2023 season. San Diego entered the '23 campaign with lofty expectations but ultimately missed the playoffs. Still, this Padres ball club has many intriguing storylines heading into the new MLB season.
Here are four bold Padres predictions for 2024.
Michael King emerges as one of MLB's best relievers
King, 28, was acquired by San Diego in the Juan Soto trade. The former New York Yankees reliever, who did start nine of his 49 appearances in 2023, is ready for a fresh start with a new team.
King had pitched exclusively with New York prior to 2024. He made his big league debut with the Yankees in 2019, but it wasn't until 2021 that King truly made a name for himself at the big league level.
He has been a reliable reliever over the the past few seasons. In 2022, King finished the year with a 2.29 ERA. He followed that up by pitching to a 2.75 ERA in 49 games pitched.
So why is King not always included among the best relievers in baseball? He's only appeared in more than 40 games once, that was in 2023. So if King can continue to pitch at an elite level and set a new career-high in appearances in 2024, he will certainly be included in the conversation for best reliever in baseball.
Ha-Seong Kim wins Gold Glove at shortstop
Ha-Seong Kim enjoyed a productive all-around 2023 season. He hit 17 home runs and stole 38 bases, and also won the National League Gold Glove award at second base. Kim's all-around quality performance led to him finishing tied for 14th in NL MVP voting.
Kim, however, is set for a big change in 2024. He is swapping positions with Xander Bogaerts and moving to shortstop, while Bogaerts will assume second base duties.
Kim was signed as a shortstop. He's moved around the infield since shortstop hasn't always been open. Shortstop is typically reserved for your best defensive infielder and Kim has earned the opportunity.
With that being said, winning the Gold Glove at such a premier position is incredibly difficult. Kim will need to make almost every routine play while displaying his range and arm strength. If what we saw in 2023 was any indication, though, Kim should be just fine.
The bold prediction here is that Kim will win the 2024 Gold Glove at the position.
Padres trade Jake Cronenworth
San Diego may compete in 2024. There is a chance that they will miss the postseason, though. Either way, trading Jake Cronenworth could be an option.
Cronenworth has previously been mentioned in trade rumors. He's expected to play first base in 2024, and San Diego doesn't feature much depth at the position. But he's under contract through 2030 (per Spotrac) so if San Diego were to trade him in 2024, they could receive no shortage of value in return.
So who would play first base? The Padres would certainly figure something out. Perhaps they could turn to a prospect or move someone to the position. Or, San Diego could acquire a first baseman before or after trading Cronenworth.
Regardless, the Padres previously discussed a Cronenworth trade (per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic) which suggests they could re-visit the idea of moving him.
Fernando Tatis Jr. makes serious MVP run
Tatis is simply too talented of a player to not earn serious MVP consideration at some point once again. He finished third in MVP voting in 2021 before dealing with an injury and ultimately getting suspended in 2022. In 2023, Tatis finished tied for 14th in MVP voting with his teammate Ha-Seong Kim.
2023 reminded us how good of a player Tatis is. It was unquestionably not his best performance, but that was to be expected after missing the entire 2022 campaign. Yet, the Padres star still recorded impressive statistics despite returning from a year-long absence and moving from shortstop to the outfield.
He finished with 25 home runs, 33 doubles, and 29 stolen bases. His .770 OPS is almost guaranteed to improve in 2024. Oh, and Tatis went ahead and won a Gold Glove in the outfield after the position switch.
As long as Tatis stays healthy, his numbers will look even better in 2024. He's 25 years old and features one of the sweetest swings in the entire sport. Tatis should also feel more comfortable heading into the '24 campaign.
He will likely have a 30-30 season, and it would not be shocking to see Tatis go 40-40. The Padres will also need Tatis to perform well if they want to compete for a playoff spot. Perhaps the pressure to step up and lead the ball club alongside Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts will give him necessary motivation.
Tatis may not win the NL MVP, although it isn't out of the question, but he will make a serious run and probably finish within the top five leading vote-getters.
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