Who’s hot, who’s not for the Padres through April
Apr 21, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) jokes with the players in the Detroit Tigers dugout while standing on third base in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Padres just finished up the first month or so of the season. After 30 games, they sit at 19-11 and in sole possession of second place in the NL West. They started with a blistering 15-4 record but cooled off a bit with injuries piling up.
Who had the best months of March and April for the Padres? Also, who needs to pick up the pace?
Hot
Arraez will never stuff the stat sheet with power numbers, but his average sits at .298. That’s all the more impressive when you consider he was batting below .200 for the first 10 games of the year. Since April 5, he is batting .381. He is doing exactly what the Padres acquired him to do. Get hits, get on base, and set the table for the middle of the Padres lineup. Plus, he’s one of the most liked guys in the clubhouse.
One of the main reasons the Padres are off to a great start is the pitching staff, particularly one of two starting pitchers. King leads the team with 38 2/3 innings pitched and owns a minuscule 2.09 ERA. He is fifth in the National League with 46 strikeouts and fifth among starters with a 195 ERA+.
Before Merrill got hurt, he was on an absolute tear. In 10 games, he batted .378 with three homers, 10 RBI, and a whopping 1.090 OPS. Unfortunately, a hamstring issue has sidelined him since. However, he may return early in this upcoming road trip. Hopefully, he will continue his All-Star, frankly, MVP-level pace with which he started the season.
Without the face of the San Diego Padres playing like he’s the face of the San Diego Padres, the team is nowhere near 19-11 or second place. Tatis is playing like he wants to win the NL MVP. He has the third-most homers in the National League, leads the NL with 39 hits, currently owns the top batting average at .345, and is second in OPS and OPS+ only to Pete Alonso. Without Tatis, with how every other hitter struggled at some point during this stretch, the Padres would be in a hole.
When the Padres signed Pivetta, they merely hoped he would strengthen the depth and middle of the rotation. Instead, he’s kicked it into another gear and is pitching like an ace. He is second in the National League with a 1.5 pitcher WAR. He has struck out at least nine batters in two different starts. In three starts, he’s reached seven full innings pitched. He has been everything the Padres could have hoped for, and more, so far.
This certainly speaks to his hot start more so than his recent play. He was the hero on Opening Day, homering to tie the game late with a pinch hit. He had a .918 OPS through April 19. Since then, he has cooled off to a .129 batting average and .454 OPS in his last nine games. He was teetering on being on the “not” list here, but his hot start saves him.
The best current closer in baseball wears No. 75 for the San Diego Padres. He leads all of MLB with 12 saves, with zero blown saves to boot. His only earned run of the entire season came in a non-save situation. This season, Suarez has been virtually automatic in the ninth inning for the Friars. He’s well on his way to his second straight All-Star selection.
Didn’t have this one on your bingo card, did you? While the injuries piled up, the Padres called on a man who didn’t even break with the club out of Spring Training and even hit waivers. Thank goodness he didn’t get claimed. He owns a .781 OPS and a .289 batting average in 15 games this year. While the Padres have been down multiple center fielders, Wade is manning that post admirably. It’s hard to imagine him keeping up the pace of a 122 OPS+, but he’s basically done everything the Padres have asked of him lately.
Not
Bogaerts has been the main focus of the ire of the Friar Faithful this year. The relationship between how much he is being paid versus his production is certainly lacking massively. In 2025, he will be the highest-paid player on the roster. Yet, he is batting .243 with a meager .680 OPS and 92 OPS+. He only just hit his first home run of the season this week. Plus, he has made several mistakes defensively. It has been something of a nightmare start to 2025 for Bogaerts.
It’s head-scratching to see Cease’s stats as he begins his “walk year” before free agency. Typically, that is when players hit a different gear. His 71 ERA+ and 5.76 ERA would be by far his career worsts after his rookie season. His strikeout rate is still high. However, he is allowing hard contact a lot more often than usual. It might be a case of needing a larger sample size to even things out, but the fact that he has failed to even complete five innings in half of his starts thus far is troubling.
Heyward has come through in a few moments as a Padre, but those moments are too few and far between. With a .204 batting average and a hapless .579 OPS, frankly, it’s his defense and veteran presence in the clubhouse that are keeping him on the roster.
This is perhaps the most disappointing of them all. While he hasn’t totally cratered like Bogaerts so far in 2025, fans certainly expect much better from their third baseman. The .279 batting average, which is very solid, is a bit misleading. He is hitting for virtually no power. His .423 slugging percentage is by far the lowest of his career. It’s a far cry from his .487 career mark. He has just two homers in 30 games, on pace for just 11 for the season. By all accounts, he should snap out of it soon. His Baseball Savant page is still plenty red.
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.