Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Gavin Sheets basically became this year’s Jurickson Profar. The Padres deserve credit.
The biggest question mark heading into the 2025 season was who was going to replace Jurickson Profar. That was the glove in the outfield as well as the bat. Profar left a gaping hole after his stellar 2024 with a 134 OPS+ in 158 games.
Gavin Sheets was an under-the-radar pickup that some thought would come and go in the night of Spring Training without much of news. Even after a strong Spring Training, the skeptics remained.
Sheets made the team out of Spring Training. He earned it. Now? He has carried the Padres in some spots this season.
While Sheets has not been the everyday left fielder, he has provided some stability to that position and clearly worked to improve his defense. He has filled the void left by Profar.
Keep in mind, this is the same Sheets that accumulated -2.8 (yes, negative) in just over 400 games for the White Sox between 2021 and 2024. Sheets came up through the White Sox organization after being drafted in the second round in 2017. With Chicago, he showed flashes — decent power, some upside — but over time, inconsistency, limited defensive value, and underwhelming offensive numbers made him a non-tender candidate. Even the lowly White Sox, fresh off a historically bad 2024 season, couldn’t find a spot for Sheets on their roster. Not that anyone blamed them at the time. He had a career OPS of .680 and an OPS+ of 90.
A.J. Preller and the Padres organization saw something in Sheets. Sheets’ path to the major league roster was not assured when he signed with San Diego — he would have to prove himself again. He did so.
Sheets’ versatility and willingness to do what it takes have only added value. While he’s not a defensive wizard, he has provided a level of versatility you don’t normally see from a power-hitting player at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds. He has played left field, first base, and slotted into the DH spot when the Padres opted for a more glove-first approach.
His bat is what truly separates him this year. The Padres have experienced some serious ebbs and flows offensively this season. Minus a few expected dry spells that even some of the best hitters experience, Sheets has been a steady lefty bat. Of the five completed months of baseball this season, he has only turned in an OPS lower than .725 just once. He has hit at least .257 in four of the five months.
He is bringing much-needed slug to San Diego’s lineup. His .467 slugging mark ranks higher than Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. Only Tatis and Manny Machado have more than his 19 home runs. By the way, that is a career-high mark by a clear four home runs, with still two weeks to play this year.
Between 2024 with the lowly White Sox and this year in San Diego, Sheets has increased his batting average by 30 points, his on-base rate by 24 points, his slugging by a whopping 100, and 123 points up in his OPS. He has never had a season in which he has played at least 60 games where he turns in an OPS+ better than 99. He’s currently at 115.
Popping the hood and diving into some deeper numbers, Sheets clearly has found something with the Padres. Give hitting coach Victor Rodriguez some credit as well. Sheets’ barrel rate is up from 5.7% to 9.9%. His 46.5% hard hit rate is a career high. He is one of the best hitters in 2025 at finding the sweet spot of the bat, ranking in the 93rd percentile in that category.
All this, while the Maryland native is making just $1.6 million. The Padres had to make moves that didn’t burn through their payroll, and Sheets is their perfect diamond in the rough.
The Padres are headed to the playoffs in all likelihood. While some highly paid players have had some dramatic ups, downs, and injuries, Sheets has been a steady, reliable presence. They are not in this position without Sheets’ career year that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.
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