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San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller has put together a roster that is marching toward a postseason berth under the direction of Manager Mike Shildt. With a good week against the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox, the Padres could punch their ticket to the playoffs this weekend.

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While Shildt is responsible for putting the players in the lineup, Preller is the architect, who built the team and has given him the players to work with. The question for many of the Friar Faithful and the question Gaslamp Ball is asking our readers is, “Which addition has been the most significant?”

Nick Pivetta

Pivetta, who signed with San Diego late in the offseason, has been the most consistent starter in the rotation throughout the year, and has to be considered as a possible Game 1 starter in the Wild Card round. Pivetta has a record of 13-5 with a 2.73 ERA in 29 games started. He has pitched 171.1 innings and has compiled 180 strikeouts.

Gavin Seets

Sheets was brought in on a minor league contract in Spring Training and forced his way onto the roster. More recently, he has forced his way back into the lineup after being bumped by deadline additions Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano. Sheets has appeared in 133 games and has a .263 average with 118 hits, 19 home runs, 28 doubles, a triple, 52 runs scored and 66 RBI. The majority of those numbers are career highs for Sheets.

Ramón Laureano

Laureano started the season with the Baltimore Orioles and joined the Padres at the 2025 trade deadline. Laureano has proved to be a significant upgrade in left field, making sliding, diving and leaping plays and he has lengthened the lineup with his consistency at the plate. Laureano has 43 hits in 41 games played for San Diego. He has seven doubles, two triples and eight home runs with 23 runs scored and 29 RBI.

Preller has made other additions to his roster including O’Hearn, Mason Miller, Freddy Fermin, Jose Iglesias, Kyle Hart, Nestor Cortes and JP Sears. Some of those players have made significant impacts, but did not have the sustained success that Pivetta, Sheets and Laureano have had. Any one or more of these players could be the key to future success for the Padres in the postseason.