An old friend’s making good in a division rival is usually the start of a tenuous relationship, but especially given the sizeable gap between the Dodgers and Padres, and more importantly, all that Walker Buehler did for the Dodgers, one can’t help but feel glad, even excited, for Walker Buehler’s 2026 rebound campaign. The right-hander who’ll face his former club for the second time in his career is simply not the pitcher he once was, which hasn’t stopped him from being damn near one of the more consistent starters for the Padres this season—that probably tells you a lot about why they haven’t been able to keep pace in the race for the NL West.
Buehler’s 3.28 FIP is the best mark among Padres’ starters this season, a result of keeping the ball in the park. Through his last six starts, Buehler has allowed just one home run, and if we take the Dodgers’ starter on this Friday night matchup, for instance, Rok Saaki has an HR/9 of 1.7, which is more than double that of Buehler’s (0.6). Any assessment of Sasaki has to take into account the ups and downs of his 2026 campaign, although that particular difference is the reason Sasaki has been more heavily punished in his worst outings than Buehler.
Focusing on Sasaki, the young right-hander has another crack at carrying the improvements he’s shown at home on the road this season. As evidenced by his last start away from Dodger Stadium, allowing seven earned runs against the White Sox, Sasaki has been lit up on the road this season, owning a 6.19 ERA across 32 innings.