Ty France has turned into one of the Padres’ most important bats in a season when most of the attention naturally goes to Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado.
Instead, it’s the former Twins first baseman who has quietly taken over the top spot in San Diego’s lineup production. France leads all Padres players in bWAR at 3.3, and among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances he sits first on the club in OPS+ (140), batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.518). Through 373 plate appearances, he has piled up a .352 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, 17 doubles and 56 RBI.
The value has shown up on the other side of the ball, too. France has been a standout at first base, posting +12 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Outs Above Average over 770 innings.
That’s a sharp turnaround from his numbers with the Seattle Mariners in 2023 (-7 DRS, -1 OAA) and 2024 (-7 DRS, -11 OAA). He had already made a big leap defensively last year, putting up +9 DRS and +10 OAA across 976 1/3 innings between the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays, a stretch that ended with a Gold Glove award.
The bat, though, was a different story in 2025. France hit just .257/.320/.360 with seven home runs and 52 RBI in 138 games split between Minnesota and Toronto. The Twins moved him and reliever Louis Varland to the Blue Jays at the 2025 trade deadline in exchange for left-hander Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden.
That offensive dip helped push France into a minor-league deal with San Diego. On Saturday night’s Twins.TV broadcast, Cory Provus reported that France had been in talks on an MLB contract with the Padres, but San Diego dropped the offer to a minor-league deal after signing Nick Castellanos, who is no longer with the team.
For the Padres, it has worked out like a steal. France is making just $1.35 million this year, while San Diego’s payroll sits ninth in the league at roughly $220.15 million.
If the 32-year-old keeps this up, there should be a better payday waiting for him after the season. That is, of course, assuming there isn’t an extended lockout that cancels the 2027 season.
France also kept doing damage against his former club this weekend. On Friday, he went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run, a sacrifice fly and two walks in San Diego’s 6-2 win.
Ty France gets the @Padres pic.twitter.com/Oap2CDHmjO
- MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026
Then on Saturday, he delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning to pull the Padres within 6-5. San Diego finished off the comeback and won 7-5.
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Twins Pitching Depth Takes Another Hit With Rojas In Trouble
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Byron Buxtons Latest Players Weekend Look Was Perfectly Him
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Buxtons taste for Skittles has reportedly gone beyond a casual snack preference, with stories over the years suggesting he has even swapped autographs for bags of the candy. However unusual the routine may sound, it has not gotten in the way of his production, and that is the part Minnesota cares about most. For a player whose personality and talent both stand out, this latest Players Weekend nod felt perfectly fitting. [Read more 🡒]