This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter and has been updated following Machado’s 2,000th hit. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SAN DIEGO — The 2025 Padres roared out of the gate to one of the best starts in franchise history. By April 11, they were eight games over .500.
And three months later? They’re still eight games over .500. They’ve taken a winding path to the All-Star break, full of ups and downs. But they finished strong, winning a weekend series against the Phillies to cap a 6-4 homestand, and they appear to be getting healthier.
“I think we’re in a good spot, man,” said star third baseman Manny Machado, whose first half was filled with milestones, including his 2,000th career hit. “Obviously, we got hot early. We’ve been kind of just surviving after that. It’s a roller coaster, man. You can’t really be hot all year. We know what we’ve got as a group. … It’s going to be a fun second half.”
Indeed, as Machado noted, the Padres have put themselves in position for an eventful stretch run. A year ago, they were 50-50, then reeled off the best second half in baseball. The reality is, these Friars won’t be defined by their first half. They’ll be defined by the second half — and perhaps what comes next in October.
• Games remaining: 66 (Home, 32; Away, 34)
• Remaining strength of schedule: .483, 4th easiest in MLB, easiest in National League West
• Key stretch: Aug. 11-24, San Diego will play the Giants home and away and the Dodgers home and away during a two-week stretch which could shape the Padres’ season. They’re presently chasing the Dodgers in the NL West and holding the final Wild Card spot ahead of the Giants.
Second half goal: Postseason or bust
The NL West remains within reach, and the Padres should certainly be shooting for a chance to host a Wild Card Series. (They’ve proven before how valuable that can be.) But there’s really only one barometer for success in the second half of the regular season: Playoffs or bust. San Diego has a star-laden, but unbalanced roster. It still should be good enough to separate in a tight NL — especially considering the Padres will play one of the Majors’ easiest schedules in the second half and figure to add ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline.
Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Add on offense, browse on pitching
Not that there was really any question, but general manager A.J. Preller seemed to eliminate all doubt when he said the Padres would be looking at “adding a bat or two” ahead of the Trade Deadline. The top of their lineup is ferocious. But the eighth and ninth spots in the order are a black hole. Preller wouldn’t need to make a major splash to upgrade the lineup. If he added a competent left fielder and either a catcher or a bench bat (to theoretically pinch-hit for those light-hitting catchers) it would go a long way. The club’s needs on the pitching side, meanwhile, will be determined largely by health. Speaking of which …
King was the Padres’ Opening Day starter and their Game 1 starter in the postseason last year. He posted a 2.90 ERA across 10 starts through mid-May. And then, King missed two months with a right shoulder/long thoracic nerve injury. San Diego has persevered in the rotation — and the recent return of Yu Darvish from right elbow inflammation certainly helps with that. But a healthy King instantly makes the rotation more formidable, particularly in a short playoff series. On that front, King appears to be on his way back. He’s throwing bullpens and could face hitters in the near future. An early August return isn’t out of the question.
Prospect to watch: Ryan Bergert
In three stints with the big league club this season, Bergert has posted a 2.84 ERA across 10 outings. The Padres haven’t yet entrusted him with working deep into games. But he’s shown enough to prove that he’s already a viable back-end starter. San Diego might dangle him in potential trade talks, given the obvious upside. (When the new prospect rankings are released in the coming weeks, Bergert would likely make a significant jump from his current spot at No. 21.) But there’s also plenty of value in hanging onto a potential No. 4 or 5 starter who could stabilize the rotation or cover multiple innings in relief, if needed.
