At this point, it would be a shock of Gavin Sheets did not make the Padres opening day roster.

The son of former big league outfielder Larry Sheets, Gavin has slashed .311/.367/.756, with six home runs in just 49 plate appearances, and he has lit up the scoreboard with some tape measure shots.

This is your scheduled Gavin Sheets home run highlight. pic.twitter.com/DZ4rDPB6lu

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 15, 2025

But can the Padres count on this level of sustained power in 2026?

On the One Hand…

Based upon his history thus far in the major leagues, the answer tilts towards “no.” In his four previous seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Sheets has slashed .230/.295/.385 with a 89 wRC+. His fielding also leaves a lot to be desired; last year, in 45 starts in right field (336.2 innings), he had a -5.5 UZR; he also started 43 games at first base.

So if he makes the team, he may not see a lot of outfield action, and with Luis Arraez figuring to get the lion’s share of playing time at first base, this means that Sheets would probably just get an occasional spot start there, and be the primary DH against right-handers; for his career, he has slashed .239/.306/.405 against righties in 1,258 plate appearances, and a paltry .168/.216/.242 in 176 plate appearances against lefties.

All of which points to him being a very one-dimensional ballplayer, best-case scenario.

But in order for that to happen, Gavin would need to step things up considerably.

On the Other Hand…

Sheets is still young (he turns 29 in April), and there are compelling reasons why (a) the White Sox drafted him in the second round in the 2017 draft (ahead of established major leaguers Mark Vientos and Garrett Mitchell) and (b) why A.J. Preller decided to take a flier on him.

After being called up by the White Sox in late June 2021, Sheets immediately made an impact, going 6-for-15 in his first four games with two home runs and finishing his rookie year with 11 homers in 169 plate appearances, a .250/.324/.506 slash and a solid 122 OPS+.

And as Sheets has shown thus far in the Cactus League, the untapped power is still there.

Gavin Sheets is going to be good with the Padres, isn’t he?pic.twitter.com/WsU2tsLITy

— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) March 9, 2025

Given that Padres ownership has clamped down on spending, Preller had few options to fill the holes in the lineup. Plus, it’s clear that the miserable 2024 White Sox season (where they set the major league record with 121 regular season losses) took its toll on the whole team; how could it not?

As is true of the entire 2024 White Sox roster, a change of scenery could do Sheets some good.

Precedence

There is precedence for an unknown slugger benefitting from a move, as the Padres and Preller know well.

Back in April 2022, Preller sent Chris Paddack to Minnesota for reliever Taylor Rogers and a young outfielder/DH named Brent Rooker. Rooker spent most of that season at Triple-A, and in a brief call-up to San Diego, he went 0-for-7 in two games, striking out four times. A few months later, Booker was moved to Kansas City in a long-forgotten trade, then selected off of waivers by the Oakland A’s.

And as they say, the rest is history: in the last two seasons with Oakland, Rooker has swatted 69 home runs in 282 games, good for a .528 slugging percentage and a 147 OPS+. And last year, Rooker finished 10th in MVP balloting.

Who’s to say that Gavin Sheets isn’t this year’s Brent Rooker? We don’t know, but given his impressive spring and the Padres need for a powerful left-handed bat at minimal cost, this is potentially a good fit for both sides.

In a few months, we’ll see if this was a worthwhile gamble.

Greg P. Hoadley

Greg has been a Padre fan for over 40 years. He lives in Ankeny, Iowa.