Opinion: Can the Padres win the NL West?

The San Diego Padres are off to a very hot start to begin the 2025 MLB season.

The Padres sit atop the NL West, known as one of the league’s toughest divisions, with a 14-4 record. That’s a full game-and-a-half lead over the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, and three-and-a-half over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But why have the Padres been this good?

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s Hot Start

Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is an early candidate to win the NL MVP.

Across 17 games and 65 at-bats, Tatis Jr. is batting .354 with a .427 on-base percentage and .646 slugging percentage. That equals out to a 1.073 OPS.

His 6 home runs are tied for the National League lead. He’s also tied for fifth in the NL in runs (16) with his teammate, third baseman Manny Machado.

Tatis Jr. has stolen six bases and has yet to be caught. His total number of hits (23) are tied for fourth in the NL. He has the same amount of walks as strikeouts.

While it’s still very early, it’s hard to take your eye off the success Fernando Tatis Jr. has had to begin the season.

Unlikely Contributors

Everyone knows the Padres have a stacked lineup, but what about the other guys?

Designated hitter Gavin Sheets has played in 16 games and is batting .318 (14 hits in 44 at-bats) with 2 HR and 10 RBI.

Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez has only appeared in 6 games but has made the most of his small sample size, with a .364 batting average. In just 11 at-bats, he’s amassed 4 hits.

Jose Iglesias has brought some of his “OMG” magic he captured with the Mets last season over to San Diego. While not as dominant, he’s posted a .273 average with three extra-base hits in 11 games.

Lastly, veterans Elias Díaz and Martín Maldonado have done a decent job sharing the reps at catcher. Maldonado is hitting .250 with Díaz hitting .226. They have a combined 14 hits, and Maldonado has one home run.

Starting Pitching Success

Onto the starting pitching side, San Diego has seen success from three starting pitchers so far this season.

The most notable is Michael King. Acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade prior to the 2024 season, he’s been great since switching from navy blue to brown pinstripes.

King has won three of his first four starts and has yet to lose one, with a 2.42 ERA. He’s struck out 24 batters in 22.1 innings. Opponents are batting .195 against him.

Offseason addition Nick Pivetta has also been great. Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with San Diego prior to the season and has lived up to that deal.

He’s posted a 1.59 ERA across three starts, striking out 18 batters in 17 innings. He’s allowed just three runs and has posted a WHIP of 0.82.

One last starter that’s been dominant, and perhaps the most surprising, is Randy Vásquez. He was another player acquired in that aforementioned Soto deal.

While Vásquez has had trouble with control, walking 14 batters, he’s allowed five total runs with only four of them being earned, and has posted a 1.74 ERA.

Stellar Bullpen

Perhaps the greatest strength of the Padres has been their bullpen.

Their best reliever has been Robert Suarez. Across eight appearances, the Padres’ closer has an ERA of zero and is a perfect seven for seven in save opportunities. He’s allowed only three hits and two walks with ten total strikeouts.

Another relief pitcher who’s been just as dominant in the same sample size is Wandy Peralta. He’s allowed the same amount of walks as Suarez with one less hit surrendered. Opponents are hitting .080 against him.

Jason Adam has also been stellar. A trade deadline acquisition last season, Adam owns a 0.87 ERA in ten appearances. He’s allowed only five hits and one earned run while striking out 15 batters.

Believe it or not, San Diego has two more relievers with an ERA under one. They are Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada, both with a mark of 0.96 on the year. Morejon has completed one of his two save opportunities.

While he’s not as dominant, it’s still worth mentioning Yuki Matsui and his 1.29 ERA. In seven appearances, he’s walked just two batters while striking out fourteen.

Padres vs. the NL West

Now, with all of that in consideration, the big question every fan is wondering has to be, is this sustainable? The Giants are off to a hot start of their own at 12-5 and you can never count out the reigning World Series champion Dodgers. The Diamondbacks should also be a tough team to face when at their best.

Over the next couple of months, the Padres will be a team to watch to see if they can not only go back to the Postseason, but win the NL West title. Hot starts are great, but we’ll see if San Diego can keep this up throughout the whole season.

Adam Pietrzak is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email app5940@psu.edu.