Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
While with the Detroit Tigers, Mize was one of the best pitchers in the American League. He was a solid No. 2 option behind ace Tarik Skubal, pitching to a 3.87 ERA across 149 innings of work in 2025. When the Tigers signed Framber Valdez to a three-year deal this offseason, Mize became the No. 3 starter behind the co-aces. He ended up being better than Valdez, though Detroit floundered overall and Mize was shipped off to San Diego.
Once he arrived in San Diego, Mize struggled immensely (and that’s putting it kindly). In 10 starts (44.2 IP), Mize pitched to a 7.46 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and a .306 opponent batting average. It was pitiful outing after pitiful outing. The righty recorded just two quality starts with an average of 4 1/3 innings per start.
It likely wasn’t his fault. There was a prevailing belief from scouts that Mize was pitching through a groin injury, which impacted his overall delivery. He also suffered an ankle injury after twisting it on the dugout steps during a start. Still, Mize’s struggles can’t just be dismissed as the byproduct of bad luck. He allowed more homers in just 10 starts with the Padres than he did in the entire 2024 season.
At the time, it was a solid trade that bolstered the Padres’ starting rotation in a big way. Instead, it didn’t pan out. The Friars gave up Kash Mayfield (SD No. 2 prospect) and Jackson Wolf to acquire Mize’s services. They also got infield prospect Gage Workman in the deal, so not all is lost. However, Mize was a rental, meaning that he’s now a free agent. With that in mind, it’s hard to say that Mize’s time with the Padres was anything but a failure.