The San Diego Padres have some stars who aren't producing, and the lineup as a whole is struggling.
The San Diego Padres went into the season with what they felt was a top ten offense, but so far the numbers say they’re the opposite of that. We’re closing in on the quarter pole for the young season, and so far they’re in the bottom ten, ranking 21st in runs scored and 26th in OPS, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
The Padres have had individual games where they’ve broken out, but it hasn’t happened consistently. Last night they were shut down by San Francisco Giants rookie Trevor McDonald, and manager Craig Stammen wasn’t completely happy with his team’s offensive approach.
“The kid was making pitches, was throwing a little harder than what he was throwing all year,” said manager Craig Stammen. “... Then, I think a little bit is: We’ve got to fight him a little bit more. We made it a little easier on him.”
The struggles are occurring up and down the lineup, with Fernando Tatis JR. taking most of the heat because of his zero in the home run column. He’s shown signs of breaking out and his overall numbers for hard-hit balls are good, but Tatis struck out three times last night and his OPS is just .625.
Manny Machado has also looked like he’s about to break out lately, and Jackson Merrill finally had a big game that featured two hits, including a home run. Ramon Laureano also homered, but most of the lineup has slumped so far.
"We haven’t really broken through on offense,” Stammen said. “We’ve had a couple games where we’ve looked really good. But for the most part we’ve grinded out some games. … I think eventually, if we want to be who we want to be -- not just a good team, but a great team -- we’ve got to be able to handle pitchers like that and figure out a way to put a few more runs on the board.”
Merrill was more optimistic after his big night, which felt like a good sign. Pitchers have been using his aggressive approach to get him to chase, and he sees what’s happening now as temporary.
"Every team goes through it,” Merrill said of the team-wide offensive funk. “You’ve seen us do it. We know it’s in there. I think it’s just a matter of time.”
The Padres need more of the same from Merrill. He entered the game hitting just .211 with a .609 OPS in a season that was supposed to be a breakout year for him.
“Jackson is a great player,” Stammen said. “Eventually, these guys are going to break through. Just like Tatis [will]. Tonight, it was great to see Jackson come up with a big hit in that first inning, another hit in his second at-bat.
“He’s up there competing every day. Love his competitiveness, and that’s why he’s one of our best players, at the top of the order.”