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The San Diego Padres have undeniably been the most torrid team in Major League Baseball. Even after dropping the series opener to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, the Friars have secured victories in 12 of their past 14 contests, a remarkable run of form. A significant portion of that success can be attributed to their explosive offense.
Before facing the Dodgers, San Diego had been plating an absurd 7.3 runs per game over their previous 11 games dating back to September 9. As of Wednesday, the Padres find themselves in a three-way tie with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies for the top National League Wild Card spot.
The pressing question, though, is whether this offensive firepower can be sustained into October.
Brutal Recent History
Back in 2024, the Padres appeared to be the team to beat. Although they may not have looked the part for much of the regular season, they caught fire in the second half, rattling off an incredible 16 wins in their final 24 games to clinch a playoff berth and secure consecutive 90-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Friars then swept the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card round with two dominant wins before meeting Los Angeles in the NLDS.
The Dodgers jumped out to a good start, tagging starter Dylan Cease for five runs to take Game One. But the Padres responded immediately, winning the next two games and putting L.A. on the ropes. They played Game Four at Petco Park with the edge, needing just one more win. However, they couldn't close it out. Not only did they fail to advance, but the Friars went scoreless for 24 consecutive innings. It was a pitiful offensive showing, with the club falling 2-0 in the final game.
A similar story unfolded in 2025, with San Diego facing the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Neither team scored more than three runs in the series, and no more than four combined runs were scored in all three games. The Padres offense simply failed them in both events. That question permeates any discussion of potential success this October.
A Grueling Lineup
One of the few differences in this Padres offense is a much sturdier lineup. The offense, top to bottom, looks steadier than it has in years past. During their playoff series in 2024 and 2025, the Friars received virtually no production from the bottom of their lineup. San Diego has new contributors this season who help fill out that area in a big way.
For one, Ty France has had a monster season with the Padres. He's buoyed the lineup incredibly, batting .299 with 21 homers. France is usually batting cleanup for the Friars. Dustin Harris, on the other hand, has been a newer addition. Since joining San Diego (23 games), Harris has batted .338/.368/.437 and is now hitting second behind Fernando Tatis Jr. Both of them, along with others like breakout catcher Luis Campusano, Gavin Sheets, and Samad Taylor, could be huge for the Padres offense this time around.
Star Power
The other major problem for San Diego has been a lack of star power from their bigger names. Except for Tatis, Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill struggled in the playoffs. The trio combined to go 23-for-107 (.215) between both 2024 and 2025. Tatis, meanwhile, has gone a blistering 12-for-38 (.316). Though most of that came in 2024 when Tatis hit .423 with a 1.500 OPS across seven games.
That being said, the stars have been out lately for San Diego. Bogaerts is slashing .315/.393/.481 over his last 15 games. Despite a dip in his batting average, Machado is on the verge of his first 30-homer season since 2023. Merrill is batting .305 with 16 homers, and Tatis has hit 20 home runs since the All-Star break. If those four are clicking when the lights are brightest, the Padres won't need much else.
Originally reported by yahoo.