The San Diego Padres are in a difficult position. They had a decent week, going 4-3 and leading the final Wild Card spot by a half game. However, the Padres must play better in the second half to achieve a postseason berth.
Adjustments to the roster will be necessary. The Friars need to get healthy in the starting rotation and acquire a bat or two before the July 31 trade deadline.
Let’s take a look at the Padres first half takeaways:
Friars need a proven starter
Since late May, the Padres were expected to shop for a starting pitcher before the trade deadline. Their intentions have remained unchanged even with the return of Yu Darvish to the rotation. The Friars need another arm ASAP.
Team president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller needs to acquire a proven commodity that can be slotted behind Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease, and Darvish. Time is running out for the Padres to wait for the return of Michael King to the starting rotation.
Randy Vasquez has done an outstanding job in the fifth starter role. But he has logged 94.2 innings pitched, which is just shy of last season’s total of 98.0 IP. The Friars cannot be caught shorthanded if Vasquez falters in the second half. It is wise to have a proven starter ready to pitch in big late-season games.
Padres need more production from bottom of the order
Entering the second half of the 2025 season, the bottom of the Friars’ batting order must provide better production. The key to the team’s first-half success has been this part of the lineup’s ability to drive in runners in scoring position (RISP). In the Padres’ 52 wins, the 7-8-9 hitters batted .329 with RISP. In the 44 losses, they batted only .129 in the same situations. You need more consistency to prevent extended losing streaks.
So, where are the troubling spots? Well, we have discussed the lack of production from the left field position all season. Friars manager Mike Shildt responded by inserting Gavin Sheets as the everyday left fielder.
The production at the plate has been a clear upgrade, but his outfield defense is less than desirable. Sheets can catch every ball hit directly at him, but he has trouble defending the left field gap. His lack of athleticism fails to prevent the hitter from taking an extra base. The Friar Faithful should not question his commitment, but the Padres do not have another option available.
The catcher’s position has produced sporadically in the first half. Unfortunately, those moments have been too few and far between. The duties have been split between Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado, and both struggled to be productive with the bat.
Diaz is hitting .194 with four HR and 12 RBI in 76 games. Maldonado is batting .178 with four HR and 10 RBI in 56 games. The Friars cannot afford to start either player, no matter how good they are defensively. The lineup needs a right-handed hitting catcher with some power. However, you can expect some competition to secure a player with such services.
Despite all the speculation, the Padres might have enough trade chips to acquire a legit bat and pitcher at the trade deadline. Preller must find players who make an impact on the field each night.