The Padres are known for their mid-season additions and pickups. While not everyone has panned this year for the Friars, Luis Rengifo appears to be the exception for the Padres.

After seven seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, the Venezuela-born player signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He played with them until June before his release. Subsequently, the Padres signed him to a minor league deal.

While in Triple-A El Paso, Rengifo played 6 games. He homered twice and knocked in seven runs in the minors. After losing key players like Samad Taylor and Miguel Andujar to injury, Rengifo had the chance to get back to the majors and shake up the Padres’ declining offense.

Luckily for the Padres, Luis Rengifo appears to be the difference-maker the club desperately needed.

In his 12 games as a Padre, he’s reached base safely in all but two of them. Excluding the 19-2 win against the Kansas City Royals, Rengifo accounts for almost 20 percent of the total runs scored since July 10. He collected his first pinch-hit home run in the Padres’ 4-2 win against the Marlins. That two-run shot proved to be the game-winner, leading the Padres to win the series.

In such little time, Rengifo had made a massive impact on the Padres. While there is still time for him to regress to the mean, it’s very helpful to have a player make a difference immediately rather than later. Right now, the Padres are in a very difficult wildcard race. They’re battling for a spot against division rivals and teams they’ve recently struggled against.

Rengifo’s approach is clear and simple. The switch-hitter likes to get on base. Ignoring the small sample size, Rengifo, in 45 plate appearances, has a .311 OBP and .433 BABIP. Through 250 plate appearances this season, Rengifo has the 14th-lowest strikeout rate in the majors.

This is a far cry from when he played for the Brew-Crew. In 57 games, he had an OBP of .280 and a .233 BABIP.

There’s no strong indication of why a sudden offensive uptick took place. A change of scenery for any player could often improve their game. However, in Milwaukee, Rengifo saw split playing time at third base and was rarely played to his strengths.

Right now, the Padres are taking advantage of his on-base-heavy approach. Getting on base gives more opportunity to score and changes the approach of the opposing pitcher. It’s the exact formula the Padres have been looking for since Luis Arraez left in free agency.

The proof is in the pudding. As a whole, the Padres’ offense has seen a bit of an uptick since Rengifo’s arrival. Despite still ranking low offensively on the season, since Rengifo’s arrival, the Swinging Friars are some of the best in OBP and WRC+ in the majors.

We’ve already spoken at length about Fernando Tatis Jr’s changing approach to the plate since the season began. However, that approach clearly wasn’t enough to shift the Padres’ offense. However, with Rengifo now batting after key players like Tatis Jr. and Ty France, he’s allowing more scoring opportunities. In addition, Rengifo’s ability to play nearly all positions on the field means he can slide into the lineup comfortably on any given day.

While everyone waits out the looming Trade deadline, it’s really these mid-season additions that make the difference on the Padres Squad. In 2023, the Padres claimed Gary Sanchez off waivers, and he went on to have a 2.3 WAR season, his best since 2019. While Rengifo has much less time to prove himself, his presence in the club is noticeable and invaluable at such a tense portion of the season.

Fabian Garcia