It’s been a few weeks since the San Diego Padres acquired Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers at the Trade Deadline.

Before joining the Padres, Mize was having a 2.9 bWAR season. With the Tigers, he started 16 games with a 2.70 ERA and a 2.56 FIP. He struck out 85 batters in 86 ⅔ innings and posted a WHIP below 1.00.

Generally speaking, Mize’s playstyle compliments his command of his deep arsenal. He draws weak or sour contact and secures outs using his elite stuff. He’s not afraid to pound the zone and aggressively sequence a batter. He has a solid five-pitch mix, an MLB-average fastball with good command, a swing-and-miss splitter for lefties, and a very versatile slider. He also throws a slurve, but on rare occasions. MLB Pipeline writer Jim Callis once compared Casey Mize to former first-round pick Stephen Strasburg.

Mize played five years with the Tigers and made an All-Star appearance in 2025 before going to the Padres.

Since then, he’s had four starts with mixed results.

Casey Mize’s first start with the Friars was forgettable at best, nightmarish at its worst. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he lasted 3 ⅓ innings, allowing eight runs and striking out one. Many factors were at play. In less than 48 hours, Mize had his entire world change, forced to adapt to a completely new ball club in a matter of hours. He had 10 days of rest, but that may have completely thrown off the rhythm he had already built up that season. In any case, these factors combined for the worst start of Mize’s MLB career.

His subsequent outings were a major step up. Mize gave the club two quality starts in a row. Six innings of two-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers and six scoreless frames against the Cleveland Guardians. That latter game would give Mize his first win in a Padres uniform.

Overall, both starts were different levels of dazzling. Quality starts were a big issue, outside of offense, that gave the Padres trouble early in the season. Mize gave it his all in both games, grabbing nine total strikeouts between games and keeping walks to a minimum.

His most recent start took things a step down, unfortunately. A leadoff homer spelled the worst, and two more back-to-back homers put the Padres at an early deficit. Mize couldn’t go deep into his start after sustaining an injury during the game. Mize went 2 and ⅔ innings, giving up four runs.

Thankfully, Mize is on pace to make his next start. With plenty of season left, and the postseason just within reach, let’s see where Casey Mize and the Padres go from here.

Though he wasn’t quite as polished as the Padres may have hoped, he rounds out a starting rotation that desperately needed a makeover. His games, despite what the looks may suggest, were all solid wins for the Padres, aside from his first start. Even with Joe Musgrove returning soon, Mize still holds a respectable role in the Padres’ push for the postseason.

Speaking of the postseason, Mize has very recent playoff experience. Mize went no-decision in both games. In total, he went three innings in both the ALWC and ALDS and surrendered one run in each game.

This experience, while brief, is certainly valuable for a team amidst a strong playoff push. In the playoffs, chances are limited to get notable playtime. The fact that he has any at all, let alone two games, is something of a miracle. There’s no doubt that Mize is already poised to be a significant part of the Padres’ October plans, should the day come again.

We can expect to see Mize again against the Tampa Bay Rays this week, assuming his recovery is brief. He’s had little time to prove himself to the Friars, and most would say he’s doing a pretty good job. Despite a few missteps, no pun intended, we have every reason to believe Mize will continue to assist the Padres as they climb the wildcard standings.

Fabian Garcia