Who’s hot and who’s not for Padres: May 30-June 5
Jun 4, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) is greeted by center fielder Trent Grisham (2) after hitting a two-run homer in the fifth inning during game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Padres finished the week on a high note, taking three of four from the Brewers. They went 3-4 on the week.
With an up-and-down week, several Padres stood out while others struggled.
Hot
The most pleasant surprise of the week was the emergence of Azocar. Called up as a depth option in the outfield, he was thrust into duty this week with the injury to Wil Myers. Over the two series against the Cardinals and Brewers, he rose to the occasion. In 19 plate appearances, he batted .389 with a 1.032 OPS. He finished the week with a four-game hitting streak, which included two hits and a triple in Friday’s win over Milwaukee.
Finally, it looks like Cronenworth is finding his stroke after several weeks of struggles. He hit .286 with a .926 OPS along with two homers this week. He ended the series against Milwaukee with back-t0-back multi-hit games with home runs. He was instrumental in the series finale, with a three-run shot in the 10th inning to fuel the victory.
Skipping into home in extra innings like:#TimeToShine | @jcronenworth9 | @Padres pic.twitter.com/XKDjsoHZjS
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) June 5, 2022
Another week, another solid performance by Gore. He turned in his second 10-strikeout game of the season and his third of at least five innings with zero earned runs. He went six shutout innings against the Brewers, allowing just three hits. With a 1.50 ERA over nine appearances, he is building a case of NL Rookie of the Year.
Much like Cronenworth, it appears Grisham also is finding his stroke. With 169 wRC+ this week, he continued to boost all of his offensive numbers. He had a .953 OPS along with a homer and five runs scored, reaching base in six straight games. After making in impact with his glove for most of the start to the year, he is now also doing it at the plate.
Another frequent flyer on this list has been Musgrove. What else can we say? He nearly threw another no-hitter in Friday’s 7-0 over the Brewers. Through 7 2/3 innings, he had not allowed a hit. He finished off eight complete innings, striking out six while allowing just one hit and no runs. As of Monday morning, he is National League leader with a 1.64 ERA.
What a night from @itsFatherJoe44 ☕️ #TimeToShine pic.twitter.com/xe2HFlnELQ
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 4, 2022
Not
Most predicted that Hosmer would come back down to Earth after a stratospheric start. Although he still has a 127 OPS+, his batting average finally dipped below .300 this week. That was due to hitting .125 with a measly .333 OPS over the seven games.
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For a while, it looked like Kim had found another gear in his quest to be a stop-gap at shortstop until the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily at the plate this week, with a .125 average and .317 OPS, collecting three hits, all of them singles.
After a strong start to the season, Wilson has struggled of late. On Memorial Day, Wilson allowed three earned runs without completing a full inning, including two extra-base hits. In two of his last four outings, he has allowed three runs while being unable to complete an inning.
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.