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17. San Diego Padres (60-56, third in NL West, tenth in MLB, -13 run differential). AJ Preller pulled a rabbit out of his hat at the deadline, upgrading the back of the Padres’ rotation with Casey Mize and Robbie Ray without giving up much. Mize and Ray may not be playoff starters, but they’re better than J.P. Sears and German Marquez and Griffin Canning (Mize’s disastrous Padres debut notwithstanding). With Nick Pivetta having a setback in his rehab, those additions loom larger.
Preller could have used some similar additions on the hitting side, but those were harder to find, particularly for a GM with a weak farm system. Over the last 30 days, though, the Padres have the second-best wRC+ in baseball, as Jackson Merrill (.323/.358/.535), Fernando Tatis Jr. (.274/.378/.474) and Manny Machado (.284/.340/.484) arrive late for the 2026 season. That gives the team half a lineup, at least, with Ty France on a BABIP-fueled heater and Luis Campusano maybe having his breakout. The Padres don’t need to have a great offense, just a good one.
That’s because they have the best bullpen in the game. Mason Miller has struck out just under half of the batters he’s faced, and his 0.43 FIP would be, easily, the lowest mark on record. Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez, working in front of Miller, are nearly as dominant. Jeremiah Estrada is back, and Jason Adam might be in September. The Padres are 40-4 when they lead after six innings, fourth in baseball, and 45-1 when they lead after seven innings, virtually tied for first. If Mize and Ray make it just a little more likely they can lead late, they’ll have been worth the (small) price paid.
One Stat: Seven pitchers have made at least five starts for the Padres this year. None has a FIP below 4.19, and five of the seven are at 4.65 or higher.
Reason to Watch: The Padres are pretty watchable even when things aren’t going well, so when they’re contending behind Miller, Tatis, and Merrill, they’re must-see TV.
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