The San Diego Padres just jumped three spots to No. 7 in Bleacher Report’s power rankings, and honestly, they earned it. This team, which was a huge question mark before the trade deadline, has solidified its rotation and is now absolutely rolling. They are in a seriously good spot for the rest of the regular season, and if they can just avoid injuries, the league *will* be forced to pay attention.
From Question Mark to Contender
Remember heading into the trade deadline? Everyone was wondering if the Padres were going to be buyers or sellers. It felt like a coin flip, right? Well, they quickly shut down any talk of selling when they went out and bolstered their rotation big time. They snagged Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants, then pulled off another sweet deal for Casey Mize and Gage Workman from the Detroit Tigers. Those moves clearly signaled their intent, and it has paid off. They have not lost a series since July 20-23, when they dropped three of four to the Atlanta Braves. That’s a long time to keep winning series, and it shows the kind of consistency they have built.
Dominating the Toughest Schedule
Last week was no joke for this squad. They faced a brutal schedule, taking on the Milwaukee Brewers, who Bleacher Report had as their top team in the power rankings, and then had to deal with a Cleveland Guardians team you just cannot sleep on. What did the Padres do? They handled business like absolute pros. They completed an impressive three-game sweep of the Brew Crew, then kept the momentum rolling by taking two of three games from the Guardians. That 5-1 record last week was a clear statement. Joel Reuter from Bleacher Report summed it up perfectly: “If they had not won eight of nine heading into deadline day, they might have been sellers, and now they’re arguably the hottest team in baseball.”
Padres fans should be absolutely fired up with how this team is performing. They are in the driver’s seat to finish out the season strong, and all this momentum feels like it is building towards something big. They are clearly looking to carry this into the postseason, and after last week, who could doubt them?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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