![\"German](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SUT-L-SpringTraining-Day7-017.jpg\")
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nPEORIA, Ariz. \u2014 The No.5 starter.<\/p>\n
It seems so straightforward.<\/p>\n
It is not.<\/p>\n
The designation itself is so nebulous as to not be an actual thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we get into a spot where you don\u2019t know the difference between your five and your three, your three and your one, your two and your four,\u201d Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. \u201cYou\u2019re just deploying a good pitcher out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
Five pitchers are currently vying for what is likely one spot at the back end of the Padres\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n
As some voices in the organization argue whether the in-house candidates are good enough to round out a rotation that will help lift them into the postseason, it seems like a good time to consider just what it is the Padres will be asking of Walker Buehler or Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez or Triston McKenzie or Marco Gonzales or JP Sears.<\/p>\n
Or what they will be asking of some combination of them that will at some point also include Griffin Canning, who would likely have the job in hand if he were not working back from an Achilles injury that will almost certainly sideline him at least for the bulk of April and possibly longer.<\/p>\n
And\/or what they will be asking of all of the above plus Matt Waldron and\/or Jackson Wolf and\/or Miguel Mendez and\/or some surprise contributor who has yet to be signed or could rise through the minors quicker than expected or be acquired in a trade.<\/p>\n
The muddled reality of what is so succinctly stated as the battle for the fifth spot in the rotation is that spot will almost certainly end up being filled by several people.<\/p>\n
Kyle Hart began last season as the Padres\u2019 No.5 starter and lasted five starts before being sent to Triple-A. Stephen Kolek took over the fifth slot in the rotation. When starter Michael King went down with a nerve issue near his shoulder, Hart came back for one start in the fifth spot before Ryan Bergert settled in there. He missed one start after being hit on the forearm by a line drive, and Waldron filled in. Bergert returned and remained until he and Kolek were traded at the deadline. Nestor Cortes and Sears, both acquired at the trade deadline, made starts in the fifth spot.<\/p>\n
It almost always takes a village. In all, the Padres had 10 pitchers make at least five starts and 14 pitchers start at least one game last season.<\/p>\n
No team in 2025 had fewer than six pitchers make at least five starts, and 23 teams had eight or more make at least five starts. Half of the league\u2019s 30 teams had at least 14 pitchers make at least one start.<\/p>\n
Many teams\u2019 projected \u201cfifth starter\u201d ended up having their second- or third-best ERA. Some\u00a0 \u201cfifth starters\u201d made the most starts of anyone in the rotation.<\/p>\n
![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SUT-L-padres-0713-004.jpg\")
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Petco Park on Friday, July 12, 2024 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
It was just two seasons ago that Waldron, the team\u2019s fifth starter, posted a 2.76 ERA over 14 starts in the middle of the season. In the 2\u00bd months that stretch comprised, the rest of the team\u2019s starters combined for a 4.35 ERA. Only King\u2019s 3.00 ERA came close to Waldron\u2019s excellence in that time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re expecting to be a playoff-contending team \u2014 and there are tiers to being that playoff-contending team \u2014 your fifth starter has to be a guy that you can depend on,\u201d Niebla said. \u201cIf your expectations are like, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re probably not (a playoff team),\u2019 then let\u2019s develop guys into that role. Let\u2019s get our minor-league system guys into that role and see what we have. We believe we\u2019re a top-four playoff team. So our fifth starter, we are expecting that guy to be able to get us some wins. It\u2019s guys that are gonna keep us in games and give us innings when we need to. Our one through three, the expectation is seven (innings). But there are gonna be three-(inning outings). So our five has got to be able to do seven (innings) sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That is the ideal.<\/p>\n
What can be said with some level of certainty regarding a contending team is that it is imperative to have as many pitchers as possible capable of covering at least five innings while limiting damage.<\/p>\n
![\"Peoria,](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SUT-L-padresST-2-22-006.jpg\")
Peoria, AZ \u2013 February 22: Triston McKenzie #25 of the San Diego Padres walks in the dugout after being pulled against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (K.C. Alfred \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n