The San Diego Padres are absolutely on fire right now, seriously the hottest team in baseball. They hit a speed bump losing the series opener to the Dodgers on Tuesday, sure, but these Friars have still racked up 12 wins in their last 14 games. Talk about an incredible run! And the best part? It’s all thanks to their offense, which was absolutely mashing, averaging a bonkers 7.3 runs per game over their previous 11 matchups before that Dodgers game. This offensive explosion has them tied with the Cubs and Phillies for the top NL Wild Card spot as of Wednesday. The big question, though, is if they can keep this thing going into October.
That Playoff History Is a Gut Punch
Here’s the thing about the Padres and October, it gets real messy, real fast. Back in 2024, everyone thought they were the team to beat. After a sluggish regular season, they caught fire late, winning 16 of their final 24 games. They clinched a playoff berth and even got consecutive 90-win seasons for the first time ever! They rolled right over the Braves, sweeping the Wild Card round with two dominating wins. Then came the Dodgers in the NLDS. L.A. took Game One, but the Padres immediately bounced back, winning the next two. They were up 2-1 heading into Game Four at Petco Park, needing just one more win. ONE WIN! And they choked. Not only did they lose, but they went 24 consecutive innings without scoring a single run. Twenty-four! It was a pathetic offensive showing, and they went down 2-0 in that final game. Absolutely brutal.
It was more of the same pain in 2025. They faced the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and the offense completely disappeared again. Neither team scored more than three runs in the series, and no more than four combined runs were scored in any of the three games. Their offense just failed them in both those crucial moments. So yeah, that history absolutely casts a shadow on any talk of success this October. It’s a real problem.
New Faces, New Firepower, New Hope?
What’s different about this Padres offense, though, is the lineup looks way sturdier. It’s got a top-to-bottom consistency they just haven’t had in years past. During those soul-crushing playoff series in 2024 and ’25, the bottom of their lineup gave them practically nothing. But this season, they have new contributors making a huge impact. Ty France, for example, is having a monster year, batting .299 with 21 homers, usually hitting cleanup. And then there’s Dustin Harris, a newer addition who, in his 23 games with San Diego, has crushed it with a .338/.368/.437 slash line, batting second behind Fernando Tatis Jr. These guys are serious upgrades, filling out the lineup in a way that just wasn’t there before.
So, here we are. The Padres are red hot, swinging the bats like crazy, and sitting pretty in a Wild Card spot. But the ghost of those back-to-back playoff collapses looms large. Can this new, beefed-up lineup actually break the cycle and keep the runs coming when it matters most? Every game from here on out is a test, a chance to prove they’re not those same old Friars. You gotta watch and see if this offensive surge is for real, or if October brings another cold snap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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