Veteran San Diego shortstop Xander Bogaerts has come out swinging in the 2026 MLB postseason, posting four hits in eight at-bats as the Padres ousted the Chicago Cubs in two games in the Wild Card round.
Every MLB postseason features players who are not star names who rise up in October and play an unexpected brand of baseball for three or four weeks that captures the imagination of the viewing public. These players can generally fall into three categories: reliable performers who find a rich vein of form at the right time, impending free agents playing for their next contracts and relief pitchers who suddenly become untouchable.
Heading into the 2026 postseason, the San Diego Padres had two players who checked those boxes, according to writers at MLB.com: first baseman Ty France in the first two categories (HERE and HERE) and relief pitcher Bradgley Rodriguez out of the bullpen.
Sometimes, however, that unexpected star can fall into a fourth category: the solid, highly paid veteran who gets hot at the right time.
As the Padres completed a two-game Wild card series sweep over the Chicago Cubs with an 8-0 victory on Tuesday and 4-1 series-clinching triumph on Wednesday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts - who the Padres inked to an 11-year, $280-million contract in December 2022 - submitted his name as the veteran who can help lead San Diego to that elusive first World Series title.
Batting seventh in the lineup on Tuesday, Bogaerts, who turns 34 on Thursday, went 2-for-4 with the highlight being a laser-beam home run that sailed into the balconies of the Western Supply Co. building in left to give the Padres a 4-0 lead after four innings. Batting sixth on Wednesday, Bogaerts followed that up with another 2-for-4 performance. His night began with an RBI single that plated France with the game's first run in the second. Then in the fourth, he launched a one-out double to the gap in left-center and touched home on Gavin Sheets' two-run homer that closed the scoring.
Even Bogaerts' outs have been loud. In the sixth on Wednesday, laced a line drive toward Cubs' second baseman Nico Hoerner. Thinking the ball would be caught, Bogaerts stopped running as he left the box, but it clipped off Hoerner's glove and hit the ground. Bogaerts began sprinting toward first but Hoerner was able to corral the ball - which may still have been smoldering - and nipped Bogaerts by a whisker at first.
Finally, Bogaerts also recorded the series' final out as he cleanly scooped up a grounder from Chicago catcher Carson Kelly and fired to France at first, igniting another champagne celebration in San Diego.
In hindsight, we may have been able to see this coming. Much like the Padres as a whole, Bogaerts had gotten hot in the regular season's final weeks. Over his final 10 games, Bogaerts collected 11 hits in 31 at-bats (.355 average) with a double, triple, home run, three RBIs and nine runs scored.
At his customary sixth or seventh position in the order, if Bogaerts stays hot, he will provide enviable length to a Padres lineup that has already gotten notable postseason contributions from rightfielder Fernando Tatis JR., third baseman Manny Machado, centerfielder Jackson Merrill and France higher up in the order.
Wednesday's win moves San Diego into the NL Divisional for a first-ever playoff meeting with the Milwaukee Brewers, the NL's top seed.
Milwaukee is expected to throw ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski in Game One, which is set for Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PT on FS1.
Bogaerts knows the assignment is daunting, but he knows he and his team are up for the challenge.
"We know who they’re throwing Game 1,” Bogaerts said in the celebratory San Diego locker room following Wednesday's win, as reported by MLB.com's A.J. Cassavell. “So let’s celebrate today. And then be ready for that fastball.”
For the record, the Padres went 4-2 against the Brewers in 2026, losing two of three in Milwaukee in May and sweeping a three-game set at Petco Park in August. Four of the six matchups were decided by one or two runs with the Brewers also posting a 7-1 win on May 14 and Padres recording an 11-2 rout on Aug. 11.
