Three players are shining this spring, offering crucial offensive and pitching sparks for the San Diego Padres amidst a quiet offseason and significant roster losses.
The San Diego Padres are entering the 2026 campaign in a difficult spot. After two consecutive seasons with at least 90 wins, the Padres’ offseason was suddenly defined by a potential change in ownership, limiting the club’s aggressiveness in the winter.
As a result, the Padres enter the new season as mostly the same team that failed ot make it out of the Wild Card round last fall. If anything, San Diego is entering this spring with a worse roster than it ended 2025 with, due to key losses such as starting pitcher Dylan Cease and reliever Robert Suarez.
Still, winning baseball is expected to be played throughout the year in San Diego. They face tough odds to overtake the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West, but another Wild Card spot is certainly the goal in 2026.
They need some big seasons from a few players to achieve that goal after several NL teams improved during the offseason. Some Padres have been showing real promise to be those who step up in 2026. Here they are:
Jake Cronenworth, IF
At 32 years old, Cronenworth is heading into his seventh MLB season. He’s been a regular in the Padres’ lineup since his rookie season in 2020, even earning All-Star honors in 2021 and 2022. Though he took a noticeable step back in 2023, Cronenworth has seen improvement over the past couple of seasons. Finishing with a 2.4 WAR and getting his bat back up above league average in 2025, fans are hoping for yet another improvement in 2026.
He’s been off to a great start in spring, playing in 15 of the Friars’ games as of Friday morning. In those games, he’s recorded a slash line of .378/.477/.568 with a 1.045 OPS. Though we aren't at Opening Day just yet, Cronenworth is showing real signs of a huge season for the Padres – and they need it following multiple infield losses during the offseason.
Ty France, IF
Another infielder making noise for the Padres this spring is Ty France. Though he signed a minor league contract with the Padres in February, he’s certainly forcing first-year manager Craig Stammen’s hand.
With the losses of Ryan O’Hearn and Luis Arraez at first base, the Padres needed to find some depth, and they did exactly that with France. In 16 games this spring, the 31-year-old has put up a .341/.400/.585 slash line with a .985 OPS. Coming off a Gold Glove-winning campaign in 2025, France is not done just yet, and he’s earned a spot on the Padres’ Opening Day roster. At the very least, he gives San Diego another trustworthy player at first or third base.
Walker Buehler, RHP
San Diego lost a major piece of its rotation in the winter with Cease’s departure, as well as the news of Darvish’s absence for 2026. Without much money to fill in for those two, the Padres and general manager A.J. Preller had to work some magic. They may have done just that with Buehler’s camp invitation.
Formerly a Cy Young candidate around the turn of the decade, Buehler hasn't quite been the same since tearing his UCL in 2022. With the Boston Red Sox last season, Buehler posted a 4.93 ERA and 5.66 FIP. It certainly wasn’t great numbers, making it clear why he had to sign with the Padres of a minor league deal.
With the Padres this spring, he’s been playing with a certain type of fire. In three starts, Buehler had recorded a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 13 strikeouts in 11 ⅔ innings. San Diego’s rotation is thin, especially with recent news of Joe Musgrove’s injury, but Buehler has shown this spring that he can be a viable option for the Padres throughout the year.