Left field might not be biggest need for Padres anymore
Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
For most of the season, the Padres have two glaring needs- left field and catcher. The recent stretch of games for Gavin Sheets may suggest that left field isn’t as pressing as before.
We now head to the latter part of June. The Padres are in the midst of a brutal stretch, not only 26 games in 27 days, but also against some very tough opponents. The needs on the roster are now jumping out and screaming at you. And if that’s the case, they likely have president of baseball operations A.J. Preller up late at night. Left field and DH both are black holes in the lineup. Or, at least, left field was.
Gavin Sheets has been playing more and more left field lately. Since June 14, Sheets has been in left field for eight of the nine games. Not only that, but it clearly looks like he has been working on his defensive game. The burly lefty looks much improved with the glove.
Sheets told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune, “I think just a more educated attack. I’ve been putting in a ton of work with (Drew) Macias so that I can be out there every day and be comfortable and play it at a good level…It’s just working a lot of balls…getting familiar.”
It sounds like the Padres are trying to get Sheets comfortable playing left field more often. As of now, he has a neutral 0 Defensive Runs saved in 142 innings in left this season. Given that Sheets is having something of a breakout season at the plate, the Padres will take “neutral” defensive metrics from Sheets in left moving forward.
HANG A STAR.
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— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 21, 2025
His 115 OPS+ and .781 OPS would be career highs in a full season.
Is Sheets working on improving in left field, solidifying the position that most view as the biggest need?
Also, with Sheets maybe playing more left field down the stretch, does that put more emphasis on the Padres needing a right-handed designated hitter?
Of course, catcher remains a big need. The Padres are among the worst teams in baseball at the catcher position.
But if Sheets can hold down the fort in left field, that allows the Padres to cast a wider net when looking for upgrades ahead of July 31’s trade deadline.
The Padres still need an upgrade against left-handed pitching. That is somewhere Sheets has not helped (.213 average, .585 OPS). The Padres are 22nd in OPS against lefties.
Preller should prioritize players that can hit lefties. Players like Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder, Cedric Mullins, and Jo Adell are possibly players who will be traded that can hit lefties well.
A catcher and a lefty-masher may now be the biggest needs, with Sheets solidifying things in left field. It still wouldn’t hurt to add some depth in the outfield, regardless.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.