Spring Temperature Check: Who's Hot and Who's Cold in Padres Camp? (Feb. 23-26)

We are still in small-sample size territory with the San Diego Padres, and, with these being spring training games, you can never truly tell what the results mean. Coaching pointers are still taking effect, and players might be trying something different as Cactus League games are the perfect time to experiment.

The Friars' coaching staff knows what everything means, as it has better information than the average fan. Radar guns and exit velocities mean little at this point.

As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis.

The Padres went 2-2 since our initial update and are now 3-4 in the Cactus League, though wins and losses mean nothing. The Friars beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-5 on Monday, lost to the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Tuesday, beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Wednesday, and lost to the Cincinnati Reds 11-10 on Thursday.

Who's Hot? 🔥

Michael King: In his spring debut, the right-hander sparkled. King went a surprising 2⅔ innings against the Angels, throwing 37 pitches, including 26 strikes. He struck out four and walked none, allowing two hits and one run while facing a lineup filled with Angels regulars. It was an efficient outing for the pitcher coming off a season marred by shoulder and knee injuries, limiting him to 15 starts.

Manny Machado: You know, Machado will be just fine when it comes to Opening Day. But before he leaves for the World Baseball Classic, where he is the captain of the Dominican Republic team, he gave the Friar Faithful a dose of what he hopes is not just a huge spring, but a big 2026 as well. The Padres' third baseman launched a pair of home runs against the Reds, hitting a two-run shot in the third inning off left-hander Nick Sando and then hitting a game-tying grand slam in the sixth off right-hander Graham Ashcraft. Those were Machado's first two hits of the spring, entering the game 0-for-5. He added a walk for good measure.

Romeo Sanabria: In his second trip to spring training, the first baseman made the most of his limited work, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and five RBIs in three games. He drove in a run in each of his appearances as a backup first baseman (twice) or pinch-hitter, highlighted by a three-run double against the Brewers. Sanabria doesn't likely have a place on this year's roster with the sudden logjam of first basemen, but he will go to Triple-A El Paso in hopes of being ready in case he is needed.

Who's Not? 🧊

JP Sears: Sure, it was just his first Cactus League game, but for someone who needs every impression this spring to be good, this was not that. The left-hander, hoping to claim one of the last two rotation spots, was torched for four runs in two-thirds of an inning by the Brewers. All four hits Sears gave up were hit hard, with three exit velocities over 100 mph and the other at 97.3, all coming against MLB regulars. Even the first out had an EV of 101.1. Sears threw a lot of strikes, with 21 of 30 pitches swung at or in the zone. One piece of good news was that he didn't issue a walk, although he did hit a batter.

Will Wagner: Vying for a backup infield spot, Wagner is off to a rough start this spring. He went 0-for-7 in three games and is 0-for-9 after the first week. He made a start at second, then came in as a replacement at third base and first base, showing his positional versatility. He has eight appearances in the minors at shortstop. The son of Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner has a really good slash line in the minors at .294/.394/.439, but that has yet to translate at the MLB level, with a .256/.329/.346 mark in 79 games, including 15 with the Padres after coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline.

Marco Gonzales: This is a bit unfair considering the left-hander didn't pitch at all in 2025 after having flexor tendon surgery and an internal brace procedure in 2024. So his start vs. the Cubs was his first game action in quite some time, regardless of the circumstances. Gonzales allowed three runs on five hits in 1⅔ innings, striking out two and walking none. He faced 12 batters and threw 26 of his 38 pitches for strikes. Gonzales, in camp on a minor-league deal, was pushed down in the battle for a starting rotation job with the additions of German Marquez, Griffin Canning, and Walker Buehler.