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The 2026 Major League Baseball season will begin shortly. At Passion MLB, as has been the case for years, we are setting the stage for the season by introducing the 30 teams of Major League Baseball.
Today, the Padres are on the menu. 2025 Season For the fourth time in six years, the Padres made the playoffs in 2025. The club finished with a 90-72 record, good for second place in the National League West behind the Dodgers. The big moment of the season came when Mason Miller arrived in town in a blockbuster trade. It strengthened an already dominant bullpen in San Diego.
The Padres are acquiring closer Mason Miller and starter JP Sears from the Athletics, per @JeffPassan
pic.twitter.com/LeR1IKTCq8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 31, 2025
That said, despite the excellence of the pitching staff, the lack of offense sank the Padres in the playoffs. The club scored only five runs in three games… and lost to the Cubs in the Wild Card round.
And given that the Padres had aspirations for the playoffs, it was a disappointing outcome.
Additions and departures
The Padres' acquisitions this winter have been fairly minor. Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos will bring some depth to the offense, Sung-Mun Song was acquired from the KBO, and German Marquez could earn a few starts.
Griffin Canning, once he recovers from his Achilles tendon tear, could also help the rotation. But we agree that there's nothing earth-shattering here.
The list of departures is longer. The most significant of the bunch is Dylan Cease, who headed to Toronto. He was a big part of the Padres' rotation.
That was nasty
Back-to-back strikeouts for Dylan Cease
pic.twitter.com/v4D4dQm1dl
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 10, 2026
Ryan O'Hearn (Pirates), Luis Arraez (Giants), and Robert Suarez (Braves) also signed elsewhere in free agency.
At least the Padres managed to retain the services of Michael King, who was a free agent. He will be back as the cornerstone of the rotation.
Strengths and weaknesses
On paper, the Padres remain a good team. They have a good group of hitters, who will once again be led by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Tatis Jr. seems to have slowed down at the plate in recent years: will he be able to build on his World Baseball Classic success to lead an aging group of hitters?
GRAND SLAM
Fernando Tatis Jr. has entered the chat in a BIG way! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/IEFTEFPwW8
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 9, 2026
The bullpen is also a strength of the club. Mason Miller is still in town, and guys like Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon form a three-headed monster that new club manager Craig Stammen will be able to rely on.
The big question mark, however, is the starting rotation. Nick Pivetta's emergence helps in that regard, but the rest of the rotation is cause for concern.
Will Michael King finally be healthy for the entire season? Will Joe Musgrove be able to contribute this year? Those two would solve a lot of problems.
Expectations for the 2026 season
Obviously, the Padres' goal will be to make it back to the playoffs. The club has a large payroll and ambitions for the current season.
That said, the team is getting older and older, and one wonders if the window has already closed in San Diego. There is still talent, but it feels like this core may have already peaked.
Will 2026 be the Padres' last chance? Possibly.
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