MLB Team Outlook: San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres have resurged late in the season and are now beginning to show good teamwork. They have now become the only team, apart from Arizona Diamondbacks, to have a positive run differential in the National League West division.
Like many teams who have failed to make an impact this season, the Padres have failed to perform in the home fixtures with a dreary 28-38 win-loss record at home thus far. Their performance on the road games has been satisfactory but still a lot of work
needs to be done if the team has to display an improved showing in the next campaign.
The Padres have not been impressive on the plate this season but their bull-pen has done well to cover this shortcoming from the mound. San Diego has the 27th best batting average in the Majors along with the 29th best slugging percentage.
These statistics are not inspiring given the fact the other teams in MLB have performed far better than this.
Chase Headley has been by far their most productive hitter with a batting average of .292. This average might be more than any other player in the line-up but has no significant standing in the Majors. Cameron Maybin leads the list of most hits for the Padres
but this too is significantly behind the League standings. San Diego would want an experienced hitter to take a lead and give the team a standing around which an effective line-up can be shaped.
Ryan Ludwick would have been an appropriate player but his transfer to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the midseason transfer deadline has added misery for the Padres.
San Diego’s bull-pen has been effective as a unit and each pitcher has done well individually too. Aaron Harang and Tim Stauffer have been the most significant starters for the Padres and their win-loss records of 12-3 and 8-9 are worthy evidence of their
performance. Stauffer has given more quality starts than Harang but has failed to convert those into wins and he would want to improve on this area when the Padres gear up for the next season.
Mat Latos has been a disappointment for the Padres this season as he has managed to win just six of his 24 starts and has 12 losses against his name thus far in the season. He has lost 50 percent of his games and has won just 25 percent of the times he has
appeared on the mound which, by every angle, is a slender record. Latos would want to improve his form before the next campaign begins or he might lose his spot in the rotation.
Mike Adams was a quality reliever for the Padres and managed to hold 23 games in addition to three wins this season before he was transferred to the Texas Rangers on the midseason trade deadline in an attempt to induct young blood in the roster. The Padres
might regret his transfer especially when his earned-run average was just 1.13.
However, the Padres have dropped just two of their last eight games and are currently on a four-game winning-streak. More importantly, this streak comes as a result of a 4-0 whitewash of the Florida Marlins and has enabled the Padres to improve on their
last position in the NL West. The Padres would want to use this season as a grooming ground for the upcoming talent.
All stats included in this feature are up to Tuesday, August 23.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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