The San Diego Padres- Then (2019) and Now (2020)
Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Now that this whacky roller-coaster ride of a “regular” season has ended, it’s time to check out the comparative stats between last year’s and this year’s performances by the San Diego Padres.
The 2019 version of the team produced a dismal 70-92 record, a fifth-place finish in the National League West, and a win/loss percentage of .434. The almost totally revamped 2020 version of the Padres has not only put last year’s sorry saga in the rearview mirror but will appear in the postseason for the first time since 2006.
Of course, a disclaimer accompanies these comparisons. The Padres played 102 fewer games in 2020 than in the preceding year. Each team had its own challenges. The marathon of 162 games takes its toll every season, and last year also included the loss of vital players like Fernando Tatis Jr. as well as the obvious superiority of the Los Angeles Dodgers, formidable division foes, and winner of a whopping 106 games.
However, Major League Baseball players have been conditioned to a season lasting from spring through the end of summer at the least. But no player has ever experienced a season like this which started with the abrupt cancellation of Spring Training on March 12th, to a lengthy hiatus, to a whole new set of rules, to the increased pressure riding on each game.
Meanwhile, the threat of a deadly virus hangs over all of us. One positive test for Covid-19 can affect a number of teams. The 2020 season may be shorter, but the cumulative stress level adds exponentially to the challenges faced by everyone involved.
Anyone watching this year’s version of the Padres has seen with his or her own eyes the vast improvement over the 2019 team. And the raw data corroborates the eye test.
Team Batting
Stat 2019 Ranking 2020 Ranking
| AVG | .238 | 28 | .257 | 11 |
| OBP | .308 | 26 | 333 | 8 |
| SLG | .410 | 25 | .466 | 3 |
| OPS | .718 | 25 | .798 | 4 |
| Runs/Game | 4.21 | 27 | 5.42 | 3 |
| Walks/Game | 3.14 | 21 | 3.40 | 14 |
| K’s/Game | 9.76 | 28 | 7.98 | 5 |
| HR/Game | 1.35 | 21 | 1.58 | 4 |
| Doubles/Game | 1.38 | 30 | 1.72 | 9 |
| Triples/Game | 0.21 | 6 | 0.20 | 5 |
| LOB/Game | 13.47 | 1 | 13.52 | 7 |
| BABIP | .293 | 18 | 2.91 | 15 |
| HR% | 3.6 | 15 | 4.3 | 3 |
| Walk% | 8.4 | 18 | 9.1 | 14 |
| Run Dif. | -107 | 22 | +84 | 2 |
| Iso Power | .172 | 22 | .209 | 3 |
Team Pitching
Stat 2019 Ranking 2020 Ranking
| ERA | .461 | 18 | 3.29 | 7 |
| ER Game | 4.53 | 26 | 3.73 | 9 |
| WHIP | 1.297 | 10 | 1.203 | 3 |
| Hits/9 | 8.76 | 17 | 7.89 | 9 |
| Walks/9 | 2.91 | 6 | 2.94 | 5 |
| K’s/9 | 9.27 | 10 | 9.77 | 5 |
| K/Walks | 3.19 | 5 | 3.32 | 3 |
| Outs/Game | 26.52 | 28 | 26.02 | 11 |
| SO/Walk | 3.19 | 5 | 3.32 | 3 |
| ER Game | .453 | 26 | 3.73 | 9 |
On Wednesday the Padres will reach the postseason for the first time since 2006 and face an old nemesis, the St. Louis Cardinals. San Diego managed only one win in three playoff series against the Cards in 1996, 2005, and 2006.
History shows that nothing comes easily for this franchise, and currently, the health and availability of starting pitchers Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet remains a huge unknown. But the Padres head into the playoffs with a .617 winning percentage, higher than the 1998 World-Series bound team of .606.
Baseball has been a part of Diane’s life since her father played professionally (mostly at the minor league level). She has written for a number of publications and concentrated on companion animal welfare. She welcomes the opportunity to write about the sport she loves. Diane shares her home with her husband and a house full of rescued animals.