2023 Season

April 29, 2023: The Padres and Giants met in the thin air of Mexico City and tied a record when 10 different players hit a total of 11 home runs. San Diego won, 16–11 and slugged six of those homers, including two by Manny Machado.

Season Preview: The Padres were picked by many to finish first last season and lost more than half of their games. They are picked to win the NL West again this year, but they are better prepared for the challenges they are likely to face. Having Juan Soto for 162 games is a start. He will form a powerhouse lineup with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and newcomer Xander Bogaerts. They lead a supporting cast that includes Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham, Austin Nola, and Nelson Cruz. The team has an awesome bullpen but might be short a top-notch starter to go with Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. If that is the case, the Padres have shown they are not afraid to spend whatever it takes to fill a need.

2022 Season

Season Recap: The Padres overcame the injury and suspension that kept Fernando Tatis Jr. off the field to win 89 games and reach the NLCS with unexpected playoff victories over the Mets and Dodgers. Manny Machado had an MVP-quality season and provided great leadership to a team that added Juan Soto and Josh Hader for the final two months. Yu Darvish led the pitching staff with 16 wins and 197 strikeouts, while little-known Jake Cronenworth, Jurickson Profar, and Ha-Seong Kim played important roles in the team’s offense.

Season Preview: An off-season injury to shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. created a dark cloud over the Padres heading into 2022. But his replacements, Ha-seong Kim and C.J. Abrams, have tons of talent and could generate enough excitement to keep the team in contention until Tatis returns. Yu Darvish is a solid number-one starting pitcher, and MacKenzie Gore should come up from the minors this year to help the club—but there are question marks in the bullpen. San Diego’s lineup added some pop in Luke Voit and its pitching improved with the arrival of Sean Manaea, but it will be a great challenge to compete with the Dodgers and Giants for the NL West crown this year. 

2021 Season

Season Recap: Many experts picked the Padres to finish in first place, but after a strong start the team had a disastrous September and ended up with a losing record. Fernando Tatis Jr. played through injuries and led the NL with 42 homers, but veterans Eric Hosmer, Tommy Pham, Blake Snell, and Yu Darvish fell short of their usual numbers. Mark Melancon led the majors with 39 saves at the age of 36. Going forward, the team will have to rely more on its talented youngsters—including Trent Grisham, Ryan Weathers, and Chris Paddack—to rise to the top of the standings.

June 21, 2021: Yu Darvish struck out the 1,500th batter of his career against the Dodgers, in his 197th game. He was the first pitcher with 1,500 strikeouts in fewer that 200 games.

April 9, 2021: Joe Musgrove defeated the Texas Rangers without allowing a hit. It was the first no-hitter in Padres team history.

Season Preview: The race for the NL West crown could determine the champion of baseball in 2021. The Padres loaded up on talent during the off-season, adding pitchers Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to an already-excellent staff. Fernando Tatis Jr. looks ready to become the best shortstop in the game, while veteran teammates Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer provide the leadership needed for San Diego to win 100-plus games.

2020 Season

Season Recap: The Padres were one of the most entertaining teams in baseball in 2020. Their breakout star was 21-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr., who led the club in home runs, stolen bases and runs scored. Veteran Manny Machado, newcomer Trent Grisham, and rookie Jake Croneworth also turned in excellent seasons. Zach Davies and Dinelson Lamet led the starting pitchers, while Trevor Rosenthal took charge of the bullpen after a late-season trade from the Royals. Many thought the Padres might go all the way, but they were swept by the Dodgers in the Division Series.

September 2, 2020: Fernando Tatis Jr. was named NL Player of the Month for July/August. He is the ninth different Padre to win the award. The first was Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, in 1978.

Season Preview: Years of collecting super prospects should finally pay off for the Padres in 2020. They have some of the best young stars in the game, including Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Francisco Mejia, Trent Grisham, Cal Quantrill, and Chris Paddack. San Diego fans will be watching closely to see if their team can pull together during the short 60-game season.

2019 Season

Season Recap: Thanks to an endless string of injuries, the Padres were able to give their young players lots of time to prove themselves. Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Urias, Franmil Reyes and Francisco Mejia took big step forward, as did pitchers Eric Lauer, Chris Paddack, and Joey Lucchesi. Veterans Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, Greg Garcia, Hunter Renfroe and Kirby Yates gave San Diego solid leadership.

Season Preview: The Padres made big news when they signed Manny Machado to be the centerpiece of a young and improving team. San Diego fans are hoping that Manuel Margot, Luis Urias, and Francisco Mejia are ready for primetime—and that two or three of their starting pitchers can take a big step forward in 2019.

February 21, 2019: San Diego fans had something to celebrate in the day before spring training when the team announced it had signed superstar Manny Machado to a 10-year contract. The $300 million free-agent deal was the largest in the history of American team sports.

2018 Season

Season Recap: The Padres played better than their 65–97 record. Several top prospects, entering their prime years, got valuable experience—including Luis Urias, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe, Franmil Reyes, Eric Lauer and Francisco Mejia. Eric Hosmer did his job as a veteran leader and Christian Villanueva showed signs of becoming an elite slugger.

Season Preview: The Padres have been collecting young outfielders for several years, and it sure looks like they are all getting good at the same time. That gives the offense great depth in 2018 and maybe some players to trade in the near future. Eric Hosmer joined San Diego after a great career with the Royals, and the bullpen looks strong. The team’s weakness is its starting staff. The Padres have some live arms, but lack a future top-of-the-line starter.

2017 Season

Season Recap: San Diego let its young players play, and they did a nice job. Manuel Margot, Jose Pirela, Hunter Renfroe, Austin Hedges, Jose Torres, and Denilson Lamet all proved they were ready for the majors. The team lost 91 games, but with more talent coming up from the minors, the future looks bright.

July 11, 2017: Reliever Brad Hand was a member of the 2017 All-Star squad. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning and struck out Robinson Cano.

2016 Season

November 1, 2016: San Diego hoped its veterans would keep the team in the division race until help arrived from the minors. That did not happen, but fans did get a preview of the team’s 2017 batting order. Will Myers had an All-Star season, Travis Jankowski stole 30 bases, and top prospects Austin Hedges, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot got a taste of big-league action.

October 5, 2016: San Diego got power from unexpected players, including Wil Myers, Ryan Schimpf, Alex Dickerson, and Adam Rosales. Outfielders Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot, and Hunter Renfroe also looked good for the Padres. It was the pitching that fell short of expectations. No pitcher won more than 9 games, and injuries and trades ruined the staff.

2015 Season

October 14, 2015: San Diego’s investment in stars over the winter did not pay off during the summer. Outfielders Justin Upton, Wil Myers, and Matt Kemp combined to hit just 57 home runs, and pitcher James Shield won just 13 times. The Padres won just 74 games.

April 5, 2015: The Padres had a busy off-season. They added four of the game’s best players in Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Craig Kimbrel, and James Shields. They join a solid supporting cast that may have just enough talent to catch the division-favorite Dodgers in the NL West.

2014 Season

November 1, 2014: Hitting has been a challenge for the Padres for a long time, and 2014 was no exception. No player hit more than 15 homers and only one drive in more than 50 runs. San Diego’s strength was its pitching, with starters Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy, and Odrisamer Despaigne throwing well. Ross was the team’s best overall player, with 13 wins, a 2.81 ERA and 195 strikeouts.

March 31, 2014: San Diego’s pitching can be very stingy. The problem is that the Padres’ hitting doesn’t give the hurlers much support. This year could be different. A young and talented infield is entering its prime, and Will Venable seems ready to have an All-Star season. If the key players can stay healthy, San Diego has a chance to win a Wild Card.

2013 Season

October 1, 2013: The big story in San Diego for 2013 was Jedd Gyorko, He led the club in home runs and became the first rookie second baseman in history to lead his team in RBIs. Another good story was Will Venable, who had a breakout year in his sixth season with the Padres. The Padres finished in a third-place tie with the Giants, and will look to their young pitchers for a boost in 2014.

March 30, 2013: The Padres are building an excellent all-around team. Can they pass the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West? That will depend on key players like Chase Headley, Everth Cabrera, Andrew Cashner, and Huston Street. The Padres won’t give up many runs, so all they need to do is find ways to score.

2012 Season

October 3, 2012: They say that the Padres ballpark is hard on hitters, but someone forgot to tell Chase Headley. In the last two months of the season, he was unstoppable. Headley led the NL with 115 RBIs and was named Player of the Month in August and September. Everth Cabrera, who did not join the team until the middle of May, ended up leading the league with 44 stolen bases.

June 30, 2012: Switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal became the first player ever to hit homers righty and lefty for his first two big-league hits.

April, 2012: The Padres pulled off a huge trade with the Cincinnati Reds over the winter when they traded their ace, Mat Latos. In return, they received Yonder Alonso, Edinson Volquez, and Yasmani Grandal. All three could have a big impact on the Padres in 2012. The team also added slugger Carlos Quentin and closer Huston Street.