As spring training marches on, the San Diego Padres have continued to see certain players show flashes of brilliance in the five-game sample. Whether or not they can continue to produce remains to be seen over the next few weeks. One of these players is José Miranda.

Sep 22, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman José Miranda (64) makes a catch for an out against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
José Miranda Vying for Roster Spot with Padres Thanks to Strong Spring Start
A Wild First Game in Peoria

On Friday, Miranda had his first game in a San Diego uniform. In the Padres’ spring opener against the Seattle Mariners, he came up to the plate after popping out in the fifth inning and connected on an 0-1 slider from Alex Hoppe for a two-run home run, tying the game for the Friars.

Later, he doubled in the ninth to bring home another runner, finishing the day 2-for-3 with two RBI and the first home run of 2026 for the Friars.

Jose Miranda ties it for the @Padres in the 7th inning with a 2-run BLAST!

📺 MLB Network pic.twitter.com/lOhUEvlLls

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 20, 2026

Building Resumé towards a Bench Role

Since then, Miranda has been on a tear, going 6-for-9 with two walks and six RBI, putting up a ridiculous .667/.727/1.222 slash line over four games played. 

Whether or not he can continue that production in the regular season remains to be seen. Miranda has posted a .263/.310/.409 career slash line over the last four seasons with the Minnesota Twins. 

By all accounts, that’s a half-decent offensive output. He has a career 103 wRC+, placing him just above league average in offensive production. But San Diego needs more than decent from their bench; they need consistent results.

The Crowded Infield Doesn’t Help

The Padres, apart from first base, have a mostly set infield. With Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth entrenched at third base, shortstop, and second base, respectively, there’s not a whole lot of room for an addition apart from the cold corner.

So, without a starter role in mind, the bench is the best Miranda can aspire to. Obviously, the hope is that he continues to produce so much that San Diego can’t afford to not have his bat. But the lineup math gets tricky from there on out.

Is the Glove There?

Thankfully, his defense doesn’t need to be that good to man first base. It just has to be serviceable enough not to cost the Friars runs. And it is.

Across 92 games at the position (81 games started), Miranda posted a .995 fielding percentage. But those numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt, as the last time he played the position consistently was in 2022.

More recently, he played 13 games at the cold corner in 2024 and had a 1.000 fielding percentage, but it’s likely that would change across a full season of play. But if Miranda’s bat heats up the way it is now, defense will matter far less so long as his bat plays well.

That’s why Miranda can’t hold anything back this spring. Any slip-up is a major loss of ground in the race for a coveted bench spot in the Friars’ dugout. 

It’s not yet clear if José Miranda will be suiting up for the Padres on Opening Day, but if he continues to rake in the coming weeks, that bench role will be his to lose. 


Main Photo Credit: © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images