The San Diego Padres climb two spots in CBS Sports rankings despite early struggles, fueled by a dominant closer and emerging pitcher.
The San Diego Padres got off to a poor start by losing two of three games in the opening series against the Detroit Tigers.
Of course, it didn't help that it began with having to face Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, which is a tough battle right out of the gate.
The Padres then lost two of three games against the San Francisco Giants, and it makes it even more frustrating that the Padres played the first six games at home in Petco Park.
The good news is that they won two of three in the first road series of the year against the Boston Red Sox, and Randy Vasquez continues to look like the best pitcher for the team early on.
After the weekend, Matt Snyder of CBS Sports had some new power rankings, and he moved the Padres up from No. 22 to No. 20.
"They haven't done anything to change my mind that both the rotation and lineup are very top-heavy, but hey, they've now won a series. You gotta start somewhere," Snyder wrote.
The Colorado Rockies and Giants are both near the bottom of this list, but the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are ahead of San Diego, which could make things tricky if the Padres want to make a run for a National League Wild Card spot.
Positives: Mason Miller Is A Star
A big reason why the Padres are winning games is that closer Mason Miller is lights out, literally.
He is on a masterful stretch, and he has dominated every single time he has been given the ball this season.
Another Positive: Randy Vasquez
Randy Vasquez, who was a part of the Juan Soto-Yankees blockbuster trade, has been out of this world so far.
He has pitched six innings in each start and given up a total of seven hits with one run and four walks while registering 11 strikeouts.
Vasquez was part of a no-decision against the Red Sox on Saturday, but the Padres won the game 3-2 as Ramon Laureano drove home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning.
Up Next
The Padres' road trip continues with a three-game series against Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning on Monday, and Skenes takes the mound on Tuesday against Nick Pivetta.
The Padres then return home to begin a homestand against the Rockies and Seattle Mariners before hitting the road again, this time for eight games.