The first month-plus of the season came with some ups and downs for the San Diego Padres.

After opening the year with a historic 14-3 record (including 7-0 at home), the Friars won just three of their next 11 games while dealing with a rash of injuries to the starting lineup.

After a two-game dusting of National League rival San Francisco, the Padres sit at 19-11 and in second place in the division heading into May.

Let’s take a closer look and evaluate how the team has done so far.

Starting pitching: B

With Joe Musgrove (elbow) out for the season and Yu Darvish (elbow) out for the foreseeable future while dealing with elbow inflammation, the Padres’ rotation is relying on some newer faces to step up in their place. The rotation as a whole ranks 10th in MLB in both ERA (3.67) and WHIP (1.24). A big reason for that has been Michael King and Nick Pivetta, who appear to be early candidates for the NL Cy Young Award.

King is looking like an ace. Through seven starts, the right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 38.2 innings pitched while holding opponents to a .191 batting average. King’s five pitch mix has allowed him to keep hitters off balance and offer different looks, including his sweeper, which he has used for nine punch-outs already in 2025. Pivetta has been equally impressive. At 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA, the newest member of the Padres’ starting rotation has maintained high strikeout rates (39 K’s in 35.1 IP) while limiting the long ball (2 HRA). Keeping the ball in the yard will be key to his success.

This is where things get tricky. Dylan Cease, entering a contract year, has not done himself or the Padres any favors during the 2025 campaign. Cease has had a less-than-ideal start, a 5.76 ERA as a result of allowing opponents to hit .293 off of him during his first six starts, a year after allowing a .200 opposing batting average. Cease being a frontline starter will be crucial to the Padres’ ability to eat innings throughout the year and win playoff games, should they find themselves playing in October.

The backend duo of Randy Vasquez (1-3, 4.28 ERA) and Kyle Hart (2-2, 6.00) has gone about as expected. After allowing just four earned runs in his first four starts, Vasquez has been hit hard in back-to-back starts, and his inability to generate whiffs while walking runners is coming back to bite him. His 10:19 K/BB ratio is among the worst in the league. Hart was optioned to AAA El Paso in order to give the Padres some extra arms in the bullpen with a pair of off days this past week. There’s a chance he will return to New York next weekend. The team might also opt to use Ryan Bergert, Omar Cruz, or Stephen Kolek while they wait for Darvish’s return.

Bullpen: A+

If there were a grade higher than an A+, I would give it one. The Padres bullpen ranks 1st in MLB in ERA (1.77), WHIP (0.96), BAA (.183), saves (13) and second in K/BB (3.43).

“This is wipeout city.”

– @markdero7 on the @Padres‘ bullpen pic.twitter.com/vKF82z9sep

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 30, 2025

The quartet of Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, and Adrian Morrejon has been automatic. Lefties Wandy Peralta (0.77 ERA, 9 K’s) and Yuki Matsui (2.92 ERA, 19 K’s) have been nice surprises. After giving up a home run to Austin Riley on Opening Day, Alek Jacob has allowed just two earned runs over 15 IP. This group should be getting back hard-throwing righty Sean Reynolds back soon as well.

Ruben Niebla and Ben Fritz have to be pleased with the early results.

Catchers: C+

Balancing performance versus expectations is the key here. On paper, the Padres backstop duo is slashing an underwhelming .223/.291/.330 with a combined .621 OPS (25th in MLB). Elias Diaz did have a solid series against San Francisco, going 4-for-8 with a HR and three runs scored. Defensively, he’s thrown out 5 of 13 attempted base stealers. Diaz is not going to win a gold glove, but he’s not a liability, and for the $3.5M he’s being paid this season, the Padres will take it.

Martin Maldonaldo, the second half of the slowest catching duo in baseball, has been hard to watch at times this season. Despite poor offensive results and declining grades behind the plate, the Padres continue to put him out there. The one thing Maldonado brings to the table is experience. He can serve as an extra pitching coach and will see things that the average catcher won’t necessarily notice.

I expect A.J. Preller to explore the idea of promoting Luis Campusano or acquiring another catcher during the summer if things don’t improve.

Infield: C+

Injuries to Luis Arraez (missed six games) and Jake Cronenworth (out since 4/8) have forced Mike Shildt to get creative and rely a little more on the team’s depth than he would have liked. Jose Iglesias (.278) has been fine, but his lack of power is noticeable. Gavin Sheets has cooled off a little after a hot start but has settled in as the team’s primary designated hitter, in addition to occasional opportunities at first base.

Manny Machado (.759 OPS, 2 HR) and Xander Bogaerts (.243, 1 HR) have had less-than-ideal starts to the season, but it is a long year. Machado’s defense at the hot corner remains as steady as ever. Bogaerts has been a positive player on the field, but the Padres aren’t paying him to be positive; they’re paying him to be an all-star caliber shortstop. Perhaps being slightly more aggressive at the plate and looking for mistake pitches will help get him going.

Bogey’s got @PetcoPark boomin’ ? pic.twitter.com/y5xQfMy82r

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 30, 2025

Both of these guys are key cogs in a lineup starving for some slugging (14th in MLB).

Outfield: B

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been keeping the offense afloat, largely by himself, since Jackson Merrill went down with a hamstring injury, ten games into the season. The Padres’ star right fielder has been excellent on both sides of the field, slashing .345/.409/.602 with eight homers and seven stolen bases. He also showed off his arm on Sunday against Tampa Bay.

DON’T. RUN. ON. TATIS. pic.twitter.com/lINKjCm1xe

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 27, 2025

Despite playing in only 10 games, Merrill is second among position players (Tatis) in fWAR (0.7). The center fielder should return sometime next week. In his absence, Tyler Wade has stepped up in a big way, playing plus defense and causing havoc on the bases. He has also been more than serviceable with his bat, hitting .289 in 15 games played.

He’s absolutely earned it. Wade going from the 26th man to being a reliable utility guy is such a blessing for this team, especially with its lack of depth. pic.twitter.com/AsSqpeCrBy https://t.co/hp089cQ9bt

— Al Scott (@AlScott1998) May 1, 2025

The Padres’ black hole this season has been finding a guy to step up in left field. Between seven different guys used out there, they have combined to hit just .212/.262/.293 with a .555 OPS, all ranked near the bottom of the league. Jason Heyward seems to be the most viable option internally for the group. The 16-year veteran outfielder is hitting just .204 but has been solid with the glove, including a crucial catch on Wednesday in the 8th inning.

If I were to predict one position the Padres would try to upgrade to this season via trade, it would be in left field.

Overall: B+

All in all, a 19-11 record to begin the season is very good, especially considering the injuries they have surmounted in the first weeks of the year. There is room for improvement, but Padres fans have a lot to be excited about.

Al Scott

Al was born in Fresno, California with a passion for talking and writing about sports. The lifelong Padres fan covers sports for Fresno State for Fresno Sports Magazine. In addition to writing, he is a public address announcer at both the high school and collegiate levels.