Steve Drumwright

Short of wishing ill will to that team just a couple hours north, this is the time of year where we put all the bad stuff that happened in the previous 12 months and look ahead optimistically toward the next dozen. And for baseball fans, that can come in all shapes and sizes; whatever happens to your favorite team is completely out of your hands. Or is it? The good vibes fans give to players can work wonders, as we saw with deep postseason runs by a few teams with the positive mojo. With that in mind, here are three things San Diego Padres fans should resolve to do in 2026. 1. I resolve to wait until the All-Star break to rip Craig Stammen. Let's be honest. It is hard to tell what type of impact the new manager will have on the Padres. Stammen is a well-liked former reliever with a lot of history with the club and, therefore, the players he is now in charge of leading. But this is his first job as a manager at any level, and his most recent baseball experiences since his playing days ended were front-office-related. The one thing we can be sure of is that he enters his managerial tenure with strong relationships with the players. That means he already has some latitude in dealing with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and company. They are likely to go up to him with something that might be off or not sitting right with the clubhouse during spring training or the early stages of the regular season, at least until he gets his footing. Stammen's in-game decisions will come under scrutiny, but he has the counsel of Ruben Niebla, who returns as pitching coach and adds the title of associate manager after being a finalist for the manager's job, as well as new bench coach Randy Knorr, who had previously been with the Washington Nationals in a variety of roles. Fans are quick to criticize when a different reliever comes in than what they want or when a pinch-hitting decision is made. Stammen deserves some leeway from the Friar faithful as he experiences what are going to be inevitable bumps in the road. Remember when you first started driving a car? It wasn't smooth, was it? The only difference is Stammen is behind the wheel of a porsche. Give him time to see how it handles. 2. I resolve to not complain daily about Xander Bogaerts' defense. The metrics on the Friars' shortstop can be tilted for any argument. Statcast has Bogaerts' outs above average at a career-best eight for 2025, while the Fielding Bible has him with minus-4 runs saved, which ranked 16th among the 21 MLB shortstops with at least 1,000 innings. He committed eight errors, matching the fewest in any full season in which he was a primary shortstop. His fielding percentage of .980 was just three ticks above the league average. So, that is what the Padres have — a league-average shortstop. Now, that might not sit well considering Bogaerts is entering his fourth Opening Day as the Padres' highest-paid player at nearly $24.5 million (Machado takes that spot in 2027 when his salary jumps to just over $39 million). His bat was supposed to overcome any defensive liabilities, but like his defense, Bogaerts' offense has been average or just below the last two seasons with an OPS+ of 92 and 99 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. How much longer Bogaerts is at the position is a subject for another day, but just remember to take it easy with the curse words when he doesn't make a play. The glove has never been spectacular, and Friars fans should be hoping his offense gets back closer to what the back of his baseball card shows. 3. I resolve to treasure every game at Petco Park. Of all the resolutions one could make regarding the Padres, this should be the easiest one to keep. In the last three seasons, the we have filled our team's stadium unlike 28 other teams. (Yeah, the Los Angeles Dodgers rule this category, too.) Technically, Petco Park has a capacity of 39,860 since the beginning of the 2024 season, but there have been an average of more than 40,000 spectators filling the beautiful downtown stadium. The Padres have ranked second (twice) and third in attendance the last three years, including a franchise best 42,435 in 2025. Where those extra 6,000 bodies are squeezed in is anyone's guess. But, combine the way the team has been playing in recent seasons with all of the downtown eateries and watering holes, not to mention the skyline views, and it's easy to see why Petco Park is one of the best experiences in baseball. Walk-off win? Exit the stadium and celebrate while walking with the rest of your group down Tony Gwynn Drive. A blowout loss? Find your favorite establishment and drown your sorrows. Regardless, Petco Park is one of the crown jewels of MLB stadiums. Enjoy it! View full article

A lot of places like to pump up the articles they liked from 2025. But here at Padres Mission, we are all about our readers. And that is why we are recapping the five most popular stories you liked from the previous 12 months. From player performance to an international flavor to trade targets and a top prospect, here is what you read most in 2025: 5. The Decline of Luis Arraez Headline: "Luis Arraez's Already-Slow Swing Has Slowed Down More, And It's A Problem" Author: Ethan Penrod Publish date: May 29 Summary: Arraez became the first player to win batting titles in three straight years with different teams (2022-24), but got off to a slow start by his lofty standards and came as the Friars were going through a rough month of May. Penrod examined what might be contributing to the substandard performance of Arraez, who has never been known to hit the ball hard. While noting that Arraez had been successful in 2023 and 2024, ranking in the 100th percentile in expected batting average each year, Penrod noted that Arraez currently sported a .274 xBA, the lowest mark of his career. "The thought that his luck is finally running out would be the initial thought, and could be correct. But once you dive into the numbers, there is a lot more at play than just luck. Arraez is literally slowing down in front of our eyes," Penrod wrote. One reason Penrod cited for the decline was a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Arraez's left thumb that was sustained in June 2024, which significantly sapped his hard-hit rate by 7.5 percentage points and reduced his already-below-average exit velocity by another 3.5 mph. "These drops in both hard-hit rate and exit velocity are large concerns," Penrod wrote. "His entire identity has been surrounded by his ability to make quality contact. Now that the contact has weakened, the batted balls are less likely to turn into hits." 4. The Arms Race Headline: "17 Starting Pitchers Who Could Be Available At The MLB Trade Deadline" Author: Bryan Jaeger Publish date: July 21 Summary: With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, Jaeger took a spin through potential trade targets that would bolster the Padres' starting rotation. This is always a popular subject for any team at the deadline, as a top starter can prove to be the difference in not only a battle for a division title, but in a deep postseason run, too. Jaeger highlighted 17 starters who could be on the move, with their contract situation and a summary of why they would be attractive to a contender. Those included Zac Gallen, Mitch Keller, and Edward Cabrera. It turned out that the Padres didn't pursue any of the names mentioned; instead, they executed a blockbuster deal with the A's for closer Mason Miller, which also included starter JP Sears. In a much smaller deal, the Padres acquired Nestor Cortes from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres did trade away two starters in Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert as they acquired catcher Freddy Fermin from the Kansas City Royals. 3. Dominican Influence Headline: "The Importance Of The Dominican Republic To The San Diego Padres" Author: Ryan Hernandez Publish date: Aug. 12 Summary: There is no doubt about the impact of the Dominican Republic on MLB teams. Not only the players, but the culture. You can probably attribute the loosening up of some of the unwritten rules — particularly when it comes to celebrating in the moment — to the presence of Dominican players. In this piece, Hernandez explores how the Padres have embraced not only acquiring players with Dominican ties but also developing prospects at the ground floor of organized ball. The concept of academies, where teams not only work on baseball skills but also provide an educational component, began in 1987, and the Padres got involved in 1990 with a split academy with the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. In 1997, the Friars opened their own academy in Boca Chica, which is still the Padres' home. The culture makes sense in a city like San Diego, which is on the Mexican border and has a heavy influence from not only that country but also across Latin America, including the island countries of the DR, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. That helps attract players such as Fernando Tatis Jr., who signed as a 16-year-old in 2015. Also, Manny Machado, who was born in Miami to parents who are native Dominicans. "The DR’s influence on Major League Baseball is spectacular, and it is continuing to grow as more and more Dominican-born players populate MLB rosters," Hernandez wrote. "Kids are playing baseball and going to camps to get out, and most of them are aspiring to be MLB players." 2. Best Fits for Japanese Star Headline: "Who Will Land This Offseason's Biggest International Free Agent?" Author: Lou Hennessy Publish date: Nov. 3 Summary: No, this isn't about the new class of 16-year-olds who attended academies, like those in the previous article, or were scouted elsewhere in Latin America. Instead, this is about one particular free agent: Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami. At the time of this writing, Murakami hype was pretty big as he was 25 years old, the youngest a true free agent could be posted from Japan and not subject to the typical rookie setup that leads to the arbitration system like Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki. Murakami's calling card is his power, which makes him that much more attractive to MLB teams, always in search of more homers. Hennessy sorts through four teams, including the Padres, who he thought would be ideal situations for Murakami. "It would undoubtedly give the Padres a different look in their lineup, as Arraez was more of an on-base threat with limited power," Hennessy wrote. "At the same time, Murakami would likely be a meat-of-the-order bat that hits behind Machado and the young table-setting duo of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. It would move Gavin Sheets to designated hitter or corner outfield, where he’s a better fit anyway." As we now know, questions about Murakami's strikeout rate and ability to make contact led him to sign a two-year, $34 million contract with the lowly Chicago White Sox. If Murakami does well, maybe the Padres will trade for him or sign him when he becomes a free agent. 1. Building the Future Headline: "Boston Bateman Joins Padres As Promising Left-Handed Pitching Draft Pick" Author: Scott Keene Publish date: May 13 Summary: It was not hard to dream of Boston Bateman. The Padres selected the left-handed starter with their second-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Camarillo High School, further up the coast from Los Angeles. One of the traits that made Bateman attractive was his 6-foot-8 frame. High school pitchers are always risky propositions, and Bateman was the second prep pitcher taken, following first-rounder Kash Mayfield. "Drafting a player straight out of high school is often a high-risk, high-reward proposition," Keene wrote. "However, the Padres’ scouting department, under (A.J.) Preller’s direction has shown a knack for identifying elite young talent. The success stories of Jackson Merrill and high-potential prospects like CJ Abrams and Robert Hassell III — now key trade assets — highlight their track record." Bateman didn't pitch professionally in 2024, so he made his debut with the Low A Lake Elsinore Storm, which was one of the reasons Keene wrote about the pitcher. Bateman was off to a good start, having struck out 21 in 18⅔ innings, which covered four starts. "Bateman’s frame gives him a unique advantage on the mound. His height allows for a steep downhill plane, making his pitches harder to pick up, especially for left-handed hitters," Keene wrote. "His fastball, which consistently sits in the 92-97 mph range, pairs well with his plus curveball, which has significant depth and late bite. Currently, he works primarily with those two offerings, but developing a third — and possibly a fourth — pitch will be critical if he hopes to claim a permanent spot in a major league rotation." Unfortunately for Padres fans, they only saw 15 starts at Lake Elsinore. That is because Bateman was part of the six-prospect package sent to the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Ramon Laureano and first baseman-outfielder Ryan O'Hearn at the trade deadline. View full article

Catcher Blake Hunt, a second-round draft choice of the San Diego Padres in 2017 who was involved in the Blake Snell trade, is returning to the club on a minor-league contract. A graduate of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, the 27-year-old Hunt spent the 2025 season in the Seattle Mariners' organization at Triple-A Tacoma. With the Rainiers, he put up a .272/.368/.452 slash line with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 68 games. Hunt played his first four professional seasons with the Padres, reaching Low-A Fort Wayne in 2019. He did receive a non-roster invitation to 2020 spring training, but the pandemic wiped away the minor-league season. That December, he was one of four players shipped to the Tampa Bay Rays for Snell. The others were catcher Francisco Mejia, right-hander Luis Patino and right-hander Cole Wilcox. View full rumor

With about a week left in the posting window for infielder Kazuma Okamoto, the San Diego Padres have emerged as a contender for the 29-year-old from Japan. While it isn't known how many teams are involved in the process at this point, the report from Francys Romero also included the Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates. His posting window closes Jan. 4. Okamoto, primarily a third baseman who also has experience at first base and the outfield, is coming off a 2025 season in which he put up an impressive .327/.416/.598 slash line with 15 homers, albeit in just 69 games for the NPB's Yomiuri Giants. As third base is currently held down by superstar Manny Machado, Okamoto's path to playing time is likely at first or the outfield, although there are contenders at those spots, too. View full rumor

Were you surprised by anything in our first installment of the Top 25 San Diego Padres player assets for 2026? As the countdown continues, we start hitting some of the fringy contributors and some who are unsung. This list ranks the 25 Padres players and prospects with this in mind: Who are the most valuable in the organization's pursuit of building a champion? To do so, we considered age, upside, and contract. Each player's age and control years are based on his Baseball Reference age for the 2026 season and when B-R says he can become a free agent. Here is the link to players 21-25. Stay tuned for the rest! 20. Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP 2026 season age: 19 Controlled through: TBD The Padres' first-round pick in 2025 and the draft's 25th overall selection, Schoolcraft is a left-handed starter who is a few years away from possibly making his MLB debut. At 6-foot-8 and 229 pounds, Schoolcraft is an imposing figure with an arsenal to match. He has a 97 mph fastball, a good low-80s slider and a changeup. All three pitches need some polish, as you might expect for someone who should be a senior in high school this year (he reclassified in December 2023). Schoolcraft made his pro debut at Low Class A Lake Elsinore, pitching just one game to get his feet wet. That is likely where he will begin 2026, with the chance to move up with the Padres' propensity for quickly promoting prospects who perform well. Schoolcraft is the Padres' No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, so the hopes are obviously very high. The Padres have two other highly touted prospects at similar levels in right-hander Humberto Cruz and left-hander Kash Mayfield, both starters who finished 2025 at Lake Elsinore. The teenager was also considered a good hitting prospect coming out of high school, where he played first base, but the Padres and Schoolcraft agreed to focus on pitching. Still, it's a good skill to have in the back pocket. 19. David Morgan, RHP 2026 season age: 26 Controlled through: 2031 Everything has been stacked against Morgan, who went undrafted coming out of college in 2022 yet was intriguing enough to be signed by the Padres. The right-handed reliever never had an outstanding season, posting minor-league ERAs of 4.03 and 5.04 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Still, Morgan started 2025 at Double-A San Antonio and had a 3.12 ERA in seven games, earning a promotion to Triple-A El Paso. In seven games there, he had a 12.71 ERA. Yet the Padres needed an arm in late May and he got the call to make his MLB debut. From there, Morgan grabbed the opportunity and made sure the Padres wouldn't send him back to the minors. Using a versatile mix of pitches, three of Morgan's first four appearances were scoreless. He went on to put up a 3.71 FIP and 161 ERA+ in 41 games, including two as an opener. Morgan struck out 25.9% of hitters while walking 11.9% and limiting opponents to a .208 batting average. He only pitched in one postseason game, but it was a big one. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two, in the decisive Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series. Morgan can be penciled into the Opening Day bullpen right now, which is just the latest chapter in his incredible journey. 18. Gavin Sheets, 1B-LF 2026 season age: 30 Controlled through: 2027 Sheets is a wild card who paid decent dividends during 2025. Having been non-tendered by the lowly Chicago White Sox in November 2024, Sheets landed with the Padres on a one-year, $1.6 million deal. The left-handed hitter did well in a much better situation in San Diego, launching a career-high 19 homers while slashing .252/.317/.429. He rotated between first base, left field and designated hitter. Sheets lost some playing time in August after the Padres acquired Ramon Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn, but settled in at DH for most of September. That position is likely to be where Sheets starts 2026, with some first base sprinkled in depending on how the right side of the infield shakes out. Due to make a projected $4.3 million in arbitration, Sheet will need to match if not improve upon his production if he wants to come back for 2027, his final year of arbitration. Part of that will be cutting down on his strikeouts. He had a career-worst 22.3% strikeout rate, but did balance that out a bit with a career-best 8.9% walk rate. 17. Freddy Fermin, C 2026 season age: 31 Controlled through: 2029 The Padres were looking for any way to get some offense out of the catcher position, which is why they sent two starting pitchers, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek, to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Fermin at the trade deadline. The Padres paid a big price for Fermin, who was stuck behind Salvador Perez as the Royals' backup. Fermin had compiled .268/.314/.383 slash line for a 5.7 bWAR with the Royals since the start of the 2023 season. In two months with the Padres, Fermin's numbers were down a bit at .244/.278/.339 for 0.9 bWAR. He did hit two of his five homers in that time, though. Perhaps starting the season with the Padres and not having to learn a pitching staff on the fly will bolster Fermin's offense. Fermin doesn't walk much, only in 5.5% of his plate appearances, and strikes out 19% of the time. Improving his patience in a more dynamic lineup would be a big step for Fermin, who is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. The veteran backstop is fine defensively—he's able to control the running game but is slightly below average at framing. He will have to adjust to being the everyday catcher, which shouldn't be a problem. 16. Wandy Peralta, LHP 2026 season age: 34 Controlled through: 2026 If there was a player with little national recognition that most teams would want to clone to their roster, it would be Peralta. He just goes out each season and does his job with little to no fanfare. Entering his third season with the Padres and his age-34 campaign, Peralta is that valuable left-handed reliever who can be put into any situation and give you what you need. After a bit of a rough 2024 in which he had a 5.46 FIP and 105 ERA+, Peralta had a much better 2025 with a 3.62 FIP and 137 ERA+. Peralta strikes out 19.2% of batters and walks 10.2% in his career and is coming off a career-high 71 games. The southpaw is a groundball specialist, getting 55.6% of batters in 2025 to keep it on the ground. In 2025, he used his 95.4 mph sinker 43.6% of the time, changeup 34.5%, slider 16.6% and four-seamer just 5.3%. The Padres' bullpen is perhaps the biggest strength of this team, and the veteran reliever is one of the reasons why. He is a free agent following 2026, so enjoy him while you can. View full article

When selecting his inaugural coaching staff, Craig Stammen mixed a good chunk of the old group with a handful of newcomers. The new San Diego Padres manager finalized his 18-member coaching staff, which was announced on Dec. 17. Stammen replaced Mike Shildt, who resigned immediately after the season with two years left on his contract. Shildt has since landed a job in the Baltimore Orioles' organization. The former Friars skipper led the Padres to two playoff appearances and had a 16-member staff in 2025. Stammen, a former MLB reliever including six years with the Padres, has no previous managerial experience, but has been in the organization for 10 years, including in a variety of baseball operations roles since his playing days came to an end. While it was known that Ruben Niebla, a finalist for the job Stammen got, was returning for his fifth season as the Padres' pitching coach, he received the additional title of associate manager. Interestingly, Stammen also named a bench coach from outside the building. That job went to Randy Knorr, a former MLB catcher who had a variety of roles, including minor-league manager, in the Washington Nationals' organization since 2008 until being let go after the 2025 season. The other key hire is Steven Souza Jr. as hitting coach. Souza was an MLB outfielder who retired during the 2022 season. This is his first coaching role, although he did spend 2025 as a special assistant with the Tampa Bay Rays. Helping Souza with will be Mike McCoy and Pat O'Sullivan, who both return as assistant hitting coaches. Raul Padron will be the hitting instructor. Ben Fritz is back as bullpen coach, as is Chris Apecechea as assistant pitching coach and Peter Summerville as game planning and pitching strategist. Herberto Andrade sticks around as the bullpen catcher and assistant coach. Kevin Plawecki joins the staff as the catching coach. In the coaching boxes, Bob Henley takes over at third base and David Macias at first base, also adding outfield and baserunning instructor duties to his résumé. Vinny Lopez will also be an outfield and baserunning instructor. as well as field coordinator. Nick Punto is also a new addition, becoming the infield coach, with Ryan Goins joining as infield instructor. Allen Craig and A.J. Ellis will be special assistants to the major-league staff and baseball operations. View full article

If everything goes to plan, Mason Miller could be striking out Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. That is because Miller, the San Diego Padres' closer, was named to the U.S. roster on Thursday. Miller joins starters Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Logan Webb, among others, as committing to play for the U.S. Skubal and Skenes were this year's AL and NL Cy Young Award winners, respectively. Miller, acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline from the Athletics, notched 22 saves in 26 chances between the two teams, including two saves in three opportunities with San Diego. Miller mainly served as the setup man for Robert Suarez, who was a free agent this offseason and recently signed with Atlanta. Miller has a 0.77 ERA and 1.12 FIP in 22 appearances with the Padres. He had a 54.2 strikeout percentage after the trade. View full rumor

While it won't erase the bad feelings from a short stint in the playoffs, the San Diego Padres learned there is a small silver lining as MLB announced the distribution of postseason shares. The Padres will dole out $10,710.79 to 68 members of the 2025 team. Postseason shares are given to teams from the MLB pot, which this year was $128.1 million, and are based on how far each team advanced in October. As we all know, the Padres lost in three games to the Chicago Cubs in an NL Wild Card Series. The 68 shares go to players, managers, and select staff members eligible for the World Series or who were on the roster after June 1. Cash awards are given to other members of the organization. Executives are not eligible. The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers' playoff shares are $484,747.57. View full rumor