Padres' Woeful Offense Drops Team To No. 15 In Latest ESPN Power Rankings

The San Diego Padres are in a prolonged struggle currently but still occupy second place in the National League West and the final NL wild card spot at 35-32.

The Padres enjoyed a 5-4 walk-off win to secure the series victory over the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, and it was especially sweet for second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr., whose second home run of the season sent the home fans happy.

The power hasn’t been there this season but Tatis is now slashing .281/.347/.348 (.695 OPS) with 21 RBI. He has been on fire over his last 30 games, but over his last 15, he is slashing .381/.418/.524 (.942 OPS).

The same can’t be said about other stars Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, as the third baseman and center fielder have consistently scuffled all season. Machado has been vocal about his displeasure regarding advanced stats, but even the basic stats say he has been awful, especially considering his paycheck.

“Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, meanwhile, have continued their woeful struggles,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote Thursday. “And with Ramon Laureano and Jake Cronenworth both out, the Padres' offense looks incredibly shallow these days.”

Machado does have 11 home runs and 34 RBI, which leads San Diego, but he is slashing an abysmal .172/.253/.345 (.598 OPS) in 65 games. Over his last 30 games, Machado is hitting .140 with a .513 OPS.

Merrill has six homers and 25 RBI while slashing .207/.275/.339 (.614 OPS). Just when it seems like Merrill is starting to figure it out, he goes cold again. The 23-year-old has two home runs and seven RBI while slashing just .173/.254/.291 (.545 OPS) in his last 30 games.

These guys are in the middle of the lineup every day, so if they can’t figure it out, the Padres will be in trouble.

“The Padres beat the Dodgers in the series opener from Petco Park on May 18, taking a half-game lead in the division. Since then, they are 7-14 and their offense has posted a .615 OPS, the lowest in the majors in that stretch.”

Everyone was concerned about how thin San Diego’s pitching staff is and if it could hold up this season, and while pitching hasn’t been outstanding other than the bullpen, the staff has given this team a chance to win most of the time.

The Padres have no need to panic as there are still tons of games to be played, but you’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t concerned about the state of the offense. Despite how bad it has been, San Diego checks in at No. 15 in ESPN’s latest power rankings, dropping five spots from last week.