(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Pitchers and catchers report to Peoria in less than two weeks, and several spots are up for grabs. While GM A.J. Preller looks to add on, the Padres will monitor their internal options throughout camp.
Spring is right around the corner, and the baseball marathon is just days from getting underway. The first reports to Peoria will come on February 10, and player workouts will begin. As camp progresses, the Padres will actively scope out their roster to determine who ends up where on Opening Day. Most starting spots are secure; however, a few are up for the taking.
In the lineup, the right side of the infield has some real uncertainty, between injuries and defensive inexperience. Outside of that, the primary designated hitter against left-handers is also relatively unclear, and could get really interesting.
On the pitching side of things, the Padres could very well add a name or two to the mix in the coming months. As it stands, the current largest vacancy is the fifth starter role that is currently occupied by JP Sears, but is far from secured. Additionally, the eight bullpen spot remains open, with plenty of names in the mix already.
With that said, there’s a plethora of names to watch this Spring who could be competing for a job. From veterans like the recently signed Marco Gonzales, to youngsters such as Garett Hawkins, there should be a ton of buzz surrounding these position battles.
First Base
With the departures of Ryan O’Hearn and Luis Arraez in free agency, the Padres suddenly have to pivot. As their roster stands right now, there are three main candidates: Jake Cronenworth, Gavin Sheets, and potentially free agent signing Sung-Mun Song. Luis Campusano could have an outside chance at winning some starts against lefties, but would not be a regular there.
Jake Cronenworth is the strongest defensive option as he posted +1 defensive run saved in 2023, primarily at first base. Cronenworth shifted back to second base in 2024 and 2025, but made spot starts at first base when needed. In 2025, he posted a solid .744 OPS, cementing himself as a solid case. Likely the only scenario where he wouldn’t win the job is if he needs to play second base. Sung-Mun Song is currently recovering from an oblique injury, and Cronenworth would likely step in if he’s unable to ramp up for the 2026 season on time.
Gavin Sheets put up similar offensive numbers to Cronenworth; however, he leaned more on power. He compiled 19 home runs on top of a modest .252 batting average over 145 games. In the field, Sheets had his best defensive season to date, per Stacast’s Run Value metric. However, much of that is likely due to his newfound success in left field during the first half. As a first baseman, however, Sheets is historically a below-average defender. The Padres would likely need to see more from his bat to consider him for an everyday role at first base.
“Right now, penciled in, is probably our number one option, Gavin Sheets.”
Padres manager Craig Stammen answered the all important question, who’s on first? pic.twitter.com/DBg0IU8xvT
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) January 31, 2026
Sung-Mun Song is the tertiary option on the board, but is far more likely to play second base. With his oblique injury that could linger into Spring Training, he’ll likely see his reps at second base. With Manny Machado locked into the hot corner, second base feels like the next-most comfortable landing spot for the rookie. However, Baseball Reference does list Song as a first baseman as well as a second and third baseman.
The super wildcard for the job is former top catching prospect Luis Campusano. Despite severely lagging at the big league level across the past two years, Campusano hit 25 home runs with a .336 batting average in Triple-A in 2025. While the conditions are favorable for hitters, it’s undeniable that his bat showed promise this past year. He would need a loud Spring— both with the bat and the glove— but it wouldn’t be impossible for him to win starts at the position.
Credit: USA Today Sports
Designated hitter against lefties
The departures of the offensive-minded infielders also leave Gavin Sheets exposed to lefties as the everyday DH. Sheets held his own against left-handers in 2025; however, his slugging numbers took a major hit. While he projects as the everyday DH as of now, the Padres could get creative to maximize their positional value.
When Luis Campusano was at his offensive peak, he was mashing lefties in the second half of the 2023 season. In Triple-A, Campusano found more success against southpaws, holding an OPS above 1.000 against them. It’s another long-shot sort of equation, but there’s a debate to be made that Campusano could compete for starts at DH this Spring.
Fifth starting pitcher
Seemingly always a preseason concern for every team, not from Los Angeles or Philadelphia, is the reliability of their fifth starter. The Padres are no different, as JP Sears prepares to toe the rubber in the Padres’ fifth game of the season against the Giants. Sears is as experienced as they come— he’s pitched 558.2 innings over four MLB seasons. However, his career 4.53 ERA is shaky, especially considering that it eclipsed the 5-mark in 2025. He’ll likely toss better numbers in a full season at Petco Park, and away from the hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.
My analysis of JP Sears’ first start as a Padre
Final line: 5 IP, 10 H, BB, 0 R, 4 K, 94 P
Sears allowed 10 H, but limited hard contact (87.3 EV)
He threw his fastball at a 49% clip, and it played well up in the zone with 20″ iVB
His sweeper got hit hard, and got only 1 whiff… https://t.co/KMpnZeVxRK pic.twitter.com/v341CTajg1
— High Leverage Baseball (@HighLevBaseball) August 5, 2025
However, other options will most certainly be in the mix. The Padres’ fifth starter for the majority of 2024, Matt Waldron, will look to bounce back to the major league level after making just one emergency start in 2025. As the MLB’s only active knuckleballer, there’s somewhat of a solid floor to his game. Even the best teams will struggle with seeing a heavy load of knuckleballs from time to time.
Another option that makes sense is Kyle Hart, who entered 2025 as the Padres’ fifth starter after signing a 1-year deal. He agreed to another 1-year pact for 2026, although he spent the tail end of 2025 in the bullpen. He figures to stay there for now, but is a good candidate to revert to starting if the team finds it necessary.
The wild card for this position is 23-year-old prospect Miguel Mendez. Mendez soared from Low-A to Double-A by the end of 2025, tossing a stellar 3.22 ERA between the levels. He’s still maturing, but a strong camp could give him an outside chance of cracking the roster. He projects to join the team at some point in 2026, and Opening Day isn’t out of the question.
Final bullpen arm
San Diego established their bullpen as the team’s dominant strength in 2025. They sent three All-Stars to Atlanta from the unit, and added arguably the best closer in the game at the trade deadline. The at-large outlook for this group is extremely positive.
However, it doesn’t hurt to make the most of their eighth bullpen spot that is up for grabs. The aforementioned Kyle Hart finished the year in this position, but will face heavy internal competition to remain there. The Padres have several arms that could make a fair case to be a major league reliever in 2026.
First off, the Padres made two major league signings at the beginning of the offseason. Relievers Daison Acosta and Ty Adcock are joining the mix on one-year deals, although both have minor league options available. Acosta has yet to throw a pitch in the big leagues, but flashed big league stuff in both Double-A and Triple-A this past year. Adcock spent the past two years in the Mets organization and wields above-average velocity and vertical movement.
Of the returners, Ron Marinaccio looks the most likely to compete for the job. He’s spent time in the major league bullpen of both the Yankees and the Padres so far in his career. His stuff plays at the level, and he found success in his short stint playing up with San Diego in 2025.
Other returning options include Jhony Brito, Bryan Hoeing, and Alek Jacob. Brito came over in the Juan Soto trade in 2024, but missed all of 2025 with an internal brace surgery for his UCL. Hoeing came over in a trade later that year and pitched well in 2024, which included Postseason innings. Finally, Alek Jacob pitched well out of the bullpen early in 2025, but quickly struggled and rejoined Triple-A.
Meanwhile, the exciting outside option is Garrett Hawkins. Similar to Mendez, Hawkins pitched to a dominant standard across different levels, but has yet to touch Triple-A. Considering his upside, he’ll likely have a chance to skip Triple-A in 2026. He features an electric fastball with great velocity and spin, and will look to ride that heater into the San Diego bullpen.
6-ft-5 RHP Garrett Hawkins in 2025 over 45 appearances: A 1.50 ERA in 60 IP, with 80 strikeouts to 23 walks, while holding hitters to a .138 BAA.
The 25-year-old didn’t surrender an earned run for 25 games from May-July.
Plus fastball that sits 92-95 with a 34% Chase% in ’25. pic.twitter.com/hZ2X06BeqB
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) January 20, 2026
A 17-year-old San Diego native, Willy Warren is a baseball fan at heart who created High Leverage Baseball, a public baseball media account covering around-the-league statistical analysis and breakdowns on X. Willy is set to attend the Cronkite School of Journalism in the fall of 2026 at Arizona State University, where he’ll pursue a major in sports journalism.
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