After establishing himself this season as an everyday lineup presence with the San Diego Padres, first baseman Ty France could take a step toward stardom during the postseason, according to MLB.com.
Looking back, the 2019 season will be regarded as the launching pad for what is becoming the golden age of San Diego Padres baseball. Sure, the team went 70-92, finished last in the NL West, 36 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and missed the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season, but an expectation of future success had been created. That has been realized with five playoff appearances in the ensuing seven seasons, including a record third straight in 2026.
That level of intent was best personified in February 2019 when general manager A.J. Preller outbid the field - despite the franchise's reputation as a small- to mid-market team - to sign free-agent third baseman Manny Machado to a then-MLB-record 10-year, $300-million contract. Machado justified the deal by playing in 156 games in 2019, hitting .256 with 32 home runs and 85 RBIs, both second-best on the team, while splitting time between third base and shortstop.
Speaking of shortstop, that position was filled at the outset of 2019 by an El Nino, or, more specifically, 20-year-old Fernando "El Nino" Tatis Jr., who the Padres had acquired as a 17-year-old throw-in who had yet to play a professional game in June 2016 from the Chicago White Sox for pitcher James Shields.
Tatis was an immediate revelation, hitting and running and fielding his way to almost instant star status before he pulled a hamstring on April 28 and went to the IL from then until June 3. When he returned, Tatis didn't miss a beat, but then a back injury in mid-August knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Still, in just 84 games he hit .317 with 22 homers and 53 RBIs, which enabled him to finish third behind New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka in National League Rookie of the Year balloting.
While Tatis arrived in the majors as baseball royalty, the man who replaced him for both of his IL stints was an afterthought. Ty France was an infielder from San Diego State University - where he was managed by San Diego legend Tony Gwynn - who the Padres had taken in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
He was called up to play third base with Machado shifting to short while Tatis was out and hit .235 with a pair of homers and 10 RBIs before being sent down when Tatis returned. He stayed on Preller's radar, though, by destroying Triple-A Pacific Coast League pitching with the El Paso Chihuahuas to the tune of a .399 average with 27 homers and 89 RBIs before returning when Tatis was sidelined for the season in August. France finished with a respectable .234 average with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 69 total games.
However, France's contributions to San Diego's renaissance appeared to come to an end on Aug. 31, 2020, when - with the Padres chasing a playoff position in the COVID-shortened season - he was dealt with pitcher Andres Munoz, catcher Luis Torrens and outfielder Taylor Trammell to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Austin Adams and Dan Altavilla and catcher Austin Nola.
After three solid seasons in Seattle, France, who was named an AL All-Star in 2022, was part of a July 2024 trade-deadline deal that sent him from Seattle to the Cincinnati Reds. That kicked off a nomadic existence for France over the next 18 months. In February 2025, he signed a free-agent pact with the Minnesota Twins but was on the move again later that summer when another deadline deal saw him traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, who would go on to lose the 2025 World Series to the Dodgers. He was rewarded for his defensive efforts at first base by winning a Gold Glove.
As a free agent again following the 2025 season, the prodigal son returned home, signing with San Diego in February and earning a spot on the Opening Day roster. To say this second chance has paid dividends would be a huge understatement. With San Diego searching for some stability at first base, France grabbed the role and hasn't let go.
He appeared in 133 games, 127 at first, and compiled a .295 average, .865 OPS, career-high 21 homers and 72 RBIs, making him a must-start when the Padres open the Wild Card round of the NL playoffs on Tuesday night against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Those numbers also made France one of the players who MLB.com writer Max Ralph thinks can emerge from under the radar to shine in the 2026 postseason.
"An All-Star in 2022 and a frequent Gold Glove candidate at first base, France struggled through below-average offense the past two seasons. But he’s having a career year (by a wide margin) in 2026, with the underlying numbers to back it up," the writer opined. "He’s making hard contact more than ever, pulling the ball in the air more than the past two years and swinging more than ever - especially at strikes. France hasn’t had much success in two postseason trips in his career, but this year has all the makings of an October breakout on an intriguing team."
So, while Machado and Tatis remain the headliners in San Diego, if the Padres are to win that elusive first World Series championship, there's every chance that Ty France will have played an important part.
