San Diego Padres bats sputter, but the bullpen shows flashes of brilliance. A strong start for some, while others shake off offseason rust.
The 2026 campaign is officially off and running, and the first series of the grueling 162-game season is complete for the San Diego Padres. Going 1-2 in their first three games, there were some key takeaways for the Padres in their opening series. Here they are:
Bats Still Warming Up
It’s safe to say San Diego’s bats are still swinging off the rust from the offseason, as they struggled from the plate almost the entire series against the Detroit Tigers. They never touched more than three runs in a game – not enough to win games when the Tigers scored 13 in the three-game series.
Surprisingly enough, outfielder Ramon Laureano is carrying much of the weight at the plate through the first three games of the season. Notching five hits, including one double and one home run, the Padres are surely happy they added Laureno late in 2025 as their stars struggle to find their bats.
Third baseman Manny Machado is the only other Padres bat with an OPS above .700, highlighting the Friars’ struggles against the Tigers’ pitching staff. With players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, and Jackson Merrill, the question isn’t if the offense will come alive; it's only a matter of when.
Bullpen Looking Strong – Mostly
San Diego had one of the strongest bullpens in baseball last season, and despite being without some key arms from that 2025 staff, they still look really solid. Right-hander Jason Adam and his 1.93 ERA will miss a chunk of the start of the year, and right-hander Robert Suarez departed in free agency, but the majority of the Padres’ bullpen has held up well through the first three contests.
The obvious exception to this is the poor first outing from righty Jeremiah Estrada in the second game, where he allowed four runs while recording just two outs. It ended up being the killer for the Padres who lost the game to a score of 5-2. Fellow righty Ron Marinaccio is the only other bullpen arm out of eight to allow a run thus far.
Oh, and closing pitcher Mason Miller’s new entrance is electric. To nobody’s surprise, he struck out two batters on his way to his first save of the year on Saturday.
Baseball season is officially here, and it’s easy to jump to conclusions after getting your first glimpse of regular-season baseball, but it’s important to at least try to settle down so early into the year. One win in three games isn’t ideal, but the Padres clearly aren’t at their best just yet. It’ll be exciting to see this San Diego team when the rust is finally scrubbed off.