Five Things to Watch at San Diego Padres Spring Training

Spring training is finally here.

Pitchers and catchers have to report by Wednesday, with position players due Sunday. Already, players on both sides have reported to camp in Peoria, Ariz.

That means all the work that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and his crew have done thus far will come together to see how they fit. That begins, of course, with a new manager. Craig Stammen, the former Padres reliever, now becomes the daily face of the team in media interactions and how people perceive the team.

Stammen was a surprising replacement for Mike Shildt, who abruptly resigned after the season with two years left on his contract. It is the second managerial change in the last three offseasons, so Stammen's history with the Friars should help with some of the continuity, although he will want to put his own touch on how things are run.

Here is what to watch for from the Friars in Peoria:

1. Craig Stammen's Impact

Stammen is one of three new MLB managers in 2026 who don't have any managerial experience, majors or minors, joining Kurt Suzuki of the Los Angeles Angels and Tony Vitello of the San Francisco Giants. Vitello has a feel for game management through his time as a college head coach.

But Stammen is in the unique position of being a former relief pitcher who is now managing a roster of star players expected to compete for a playoff spot. A handful of those players — Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Luis Campusano — called Stammen a teammate in his final season as a player in 2023, retiring due to injury. He was well-liked in the clubhouse and spent the last couple years in various roles, including being available to major-league and minor-league players in his role as an advisor to the front office.

Now, he is expected to set the tone in the clubhouse and have players listen to his messaging. That part shouldn't be hard considering he had a prominent role in the clubhouse as a player, but his words mean more now. Like successful coaches from other MLB teams, it will be up to Stammen to create new bonds with all of his players and keep the lines of communication open. Shildt came off as more of a tough-but-fair manager, while Stammen's already-established relationships would lean into a player-friendly style. That does come with a front-office flair due to his time there.

Perhaps the biggest impact will be how his coaches perform. While Ruben Niebla lost in his bid to replace Shildt as manager, he remained as pitching coach and added the title of associate manager. Stammen named Steven Souza Jr., a former MLB outfielder with no previous coaching experience, as his hitting coach after spending 2025 as a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Rays. There is no secret the offense could use a boost after finishing 16th in OPS last year, including 22nd in slugging percentage and 28th in homers.

2. Last Rotation Spot

Starting pitching depth is tenuous at best, but the top three of right-handers Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove are pretty decent. Randy Vasquez is currently slotted into the No. 4 spot. But the rotation took a hit with the loss of Dylan Cease via free agency. Without a lot in the minors to fill the void, there has been a lot of fretting by Friars fans, deservedly so, over the back end of the rotation.

The Padres were in on this winter's top free-agent target, Framber Valdez, but didn't land the left-hander. It is very likely that this is addressed before Opening Day as several viable arms remain on the market.

But until that happens, the Friars need to see what they have in the system. That includes left-handers JP Sears and Kyle Hart and right-hander Matt Waldron from the 40-man roster and non-roster invitees Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie, plus even perhaps wild card Riley Pint. That is a thin group.

Sears probably enters camp in the No. 5 spot, but fellow left-handers Hart and Gonzales will get long looks this spring, as will Waldron. Sears came over to the Padres in the Mason Miller trade and made just five starts after being acquired. Hart had mixed results in 2025, with six starts among his 20 appearances, posting a 5.18 FIP, while also seeing time at Triple-A El Paso.

A few long shots include right-hander Sean Boyle and left-hander Jackson Wolf. All in all, the depth is minimal and any injuries this spring will spell trouble.

3. What to Expect From Joe Musgrove 

That is a good lead-in for the status of Joe Musgrove. Java Joe had Tommy John surgery after injuring his right elbow in Game 2 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series vs. Atlanta. The good news is that Musgrove recently said he had a "normal offseason."

The timing mostly makes sense in that he was expected to be ready for spring training. But with TJ surgery usually being a 12-16 month recovery, it is doubtful the entirety of this offseason has been normal. And considering the Padres need Musgrove for the full season, it is likely that caution will win the day in the spring exhibition slate.

That is something Stammen is surely to be asked about as pitchers and catchers report. If Musgrove suffers any setbacks, that will diminish the already-thin depth in the rotation. If Musgrove is ready for Opening Day following a full spring, his workload could be limited early in the season. That will be something to keep an eye on.

4. Sung Mun Song's Role

Second base? First base? Utility? Where will Sung-mun Song play in 2026? The answer to that question could have a significant impact on how the Padres do this season. And part of the answer will depend on how his oblique injury is doing. When he sustained the injury, which was reported in mid-January, it wasn't known when it happened and that he would miss about a month. That timeframe brings us to right about now.

The 29-year-old was primarily a third baseman in the Korea Baseball Organization, but that is Machado's home. So, Song will see time on the right side of the infield, with his focus likely to be on second base. Song has played 610 innings since 2021 at second base, the equivalent of half a season in MLB for a regular at the position. He has a solid .989 fielding percentage in that time at the keystone.

If Song, a left-handed hitter, is healthy and gets his bat going in spring training, he could earn a few early-season starts. The would allow Jake Cronenworth, also a left-handed hitter, to be a versatile piece to play first base or the occasional start at short in addition to seeing time at second.

But if Song doesn't hit the ground running in Peoria, that could render him into a utility role with Cronenworth starting at second. Song is also expected to see time in the outfield to make him more diverse defensively.

5. Final Bench Spot

There are four bench spots, one of which goes to the backup catcher, in this case Campusano. Two of those three bench berths are pretty locked in with recent signee Miguel Andujar, a corner infielder-outfielder, and outfielder Bryce Johnson. For this exercise, we are putting Song, Cronenworth and Gavin Sheets in the starting lineup at second base, first base and designated hitter, however that works itself out.

Which means the last spot on the roster is up for grabs. Candidates on the 40-man roster are infielders Will Wagner and Mason McCoy and outfielder Tirso Ornelas. Non-roster possibilities include Samad Taylor, Jose Miranda, Nick Solak and Pablo Reyes. Taylor and Reyes are very versatile, able to play second, third and the outfield, while Miranda is a corner infielder and Solak is an offense-first first baseman.

With Cronenworth capable of playing shortstop — he started 10 games there in 2025 — the decision on who to pick could come down to the whether it is a right-handed or left-handed bat. With the number of left-handers in the lineup, including Song, Cronenworth, Sheets, and center fielder Jackson Merrill, a right-handed bat seems to be needed. Andujar is a righty bat, while Johnson is a switch-hitter.

McCoy, Miranda, Solak and Reyes are all right-handed hitters. McCoy is the only true shortstop in the bunch, providing coverage for Xander Bogaerts. But like Wagner and Ornelas, McCoy has minor-league options remaining, so he'd be just a phone call away if he misses the Opening Day roster.