The Top Breakout Candidates for Padres in 2017
Credit: AP Photo
Trevor Cahill, RHP
The Trevor Cahill signing was overlooked by many San Diego Padres fans.
Many people believe that Cahill is just a washed up reliever that looked good last year playing on the best team in baseball.
However, it is often forgotten that at one point in his career, Cahill was a Cy Young candidate, when he went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in almost 200 innings of work in 2010 for the A’s. Cahill hasn’t been a starting pitcher in over two seasons, but his past workload shows that he has the arm strength to be a 175+ innings per year type of guy.
Last season, Cahill posted a 4-4 record with a 2.75 ERA in 65.2 innings with the Cubs, most of those coming out of bullpen. Although he did not appear once in the 2016 postseason, Cahill had a hand in the Cubs very successful relief corp last year that was among the best in the majors.
Trevor Cahill will more than likely be a starter with the Padres this upcoming season. Coming into a rotation that was absolutely awful the previous season, the 28-year-old right-hander looks to take over control of the starting rotation. Look for Cahill to go around six innings every game and to have an above average season as far as production.
He brings leadership and experience to a team that needs just that, and will more than likely be the Padres most reliable pitcher next season. I truly believe that Cahill has the stuff to be a very solid pitcher, so look for him to be probably the only bright spot of the Padres dismal starting rotation.
Wil Myers, 1B
I understand what you’re thinking.
“You won’t put Renfroe and Margot on this list, but you’ll put the Padres’ best player from last season on here?” Yes. Yes I did.
Myers had his breakout season last year, blasting almost 30 home runs and driving in almost 100 runs. However, he has the potential to produce even more, and will do so in 2017.
The former 2013 A.L. Rookie of the Year has something to prove now after signing the massive six-year/$83-million dollar contract he did in the off-season.
Myers is the franchise player on this young Padres’ team, and is the guy that they will look to build around for years to come. He flirted with a 30/30/30 season last year, hitting 29 doubles, 28 home runs, and stealing 28 bases as well for the team.
The transition from first base went well for Myers, as he posted the highest fielding percentage at the position in the National League.
He did start going into a slump towards the end of the season, which is why his strikeout numbers (160) were as high as they were. Nonetheless, Myers is an exciting player to watch and is looking to become one of the best young players in the league.
Reports indicate that he is eyeing a 40-40 season next year, something that I truly believe is obtainable for him.
Look for Myers to attempt to spread the ball a little better in 2017, and also try to raise his batting average and on base percentage. Out of all the young talent on this roster, Myers is the cream of the crop, and expect for him to just keep building on the season he had last season. Keep your eye’s open Padres fans, Wil Myers is the real deal.
Diego works at Prep Baseball Report as an Area Scout in Illinois and Missouri. He graduated this spring with a Bachelor Degree in Communications and played four years of college baseball, logging nearly 50 innings of work in a relief role. Diego hopes to work in an MLB front office one day and has been a Padres fan since he was six years old.