The San Diego Padres have been riding elite pitching to the top spot in the National League West. It wouldn’t be the first time the Padres had World Series aspirations early in the season, only to fall off, but this season, there are some reasons to believe it is different. With the team’s elite pitching and the possibility of the offense showing some positive regression, ex-player Trevor Plouffe believes that this could finally be the year that San Diego enters the World Series conversation, via Dugout Discussions with Chris Rose.
Are the Padres legit World Series contenders?
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— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) April 23, 2026
Plouffe believes the Padres will be fine because the rotation and bullpen are ready for the moment. He also isn’t concerned about the offense’s struggles, as those things tend to even out over time. Manny Machado has been finding some good contact lately, while Fernando Tatis Jr. is just one breakout game away from getting hot and becoming one of the league’s most dangerous hitters.
Rose is a bit more pessimistic about the Padres’ World Series aspirations, believing the hitting just isn’t up to par. He is looking at OPS as the deciding factor that San Diego will have trouble keeping up with some of the other top-hitting teams in the league.
The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. The Padres are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West despite their hitters not playing well. That should be more of a positive for the team than a negative, as long as the hitting eventually comes around.
The San Diego Padres have been riding elite pitching to the top spot in the National League West. It wouldn’t be the first time the Padres had World Series aspirations early in the season, only to fall off, but this season, there are some reasons to believe it is different.