The Padres’ hold on the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot is slim, and the reason they’ve got even that much breathing room is Fernando Tatis Jr.
After a sluggish start to the season, Tatis caught fire in August and gave San Diego exactly the lift it needed. ESPN’s Jeff Passan called him the “biggest winner” of the month, pointing straight to the outfielder’s long-awaited power surge.
“Considering Fernando Tatis Jr. didn't hit his first home run this season until May 29, his August power surge was a pleasant surprise that propelled the Padres back into contention,” Passan writes.
That surge came after a first four months that fell well short of Tatis’ usual standard. Through the end of July, he had played 109 games and produced eight home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .758 OPS. For a player of his caliber, those numbers told the story of a frustrating season.
August looked completely different. In 27 games, Tatis launched nine home runs, drove in 18 runs, and posted a .901 OPS. That kind of production helped push the Padres back into the race and kept them in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks, at least by a little.
The question now is whether he can keep that bat rolling into September. The Wild Card chase is still alive, and one cold stretch could flip the whole picture for San Diego.
Without Tatis’ turnaround, the Padres could easily be staring up at the Diamondbacks and the rest of the NL Wild Card pack. Instead, they’re still in the fight, and his August is the biggest reason why.
In Other News...
Padres Just Lost Their Place In MLB Ownership History
For a stretch, the Padres could point to their place in the state rivalry and the broader business of baseball as one of the more notable franchises in Southern California. Now the record book has shifted again, with the Angels set to be sold to Stan Kroenkes Kroenke Sports & Entertainment for $4 billion, a valuation that resets the high-water mark for an MLB franchise sale. The deal, expected to close in 2027, adds another major piece to Kroenkes growing sports portfolio.
For San Diego, the headline is less about the Angels than the changing economics around the sport. The Padres have spent recent years navigating an increasingly competitive landscape in which ownership clout matters almost as much as payroll, and a new benchmark this large only underlines how much the industry has changed. Kroenke already controls several pro teams across different leagues, and this latest move only deepens the sense that baseballs power structure is becoming even more concentrated. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have 2 Surprise Award Cases In The Stretch Run
The late-season stretch has given the Padres something they did not necessarily have circled back in spring: a pair of award cases that are starting to gain real traction. MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic projects Mason Miller to take home the National League Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, pointing to a dominant run in the back end of San Diegos bullpen. Miller has paired a 1.26 ERA across 55 appearances with 32 saves, production that has made him one of the defining arms in the leagues final months.
There is also a quieter but potentially bigger storyline around Craig Stammen, who is in his first year managing the Padres and has helped steer the club into playoff position. Bowdens prediction has Stammen as the National League Manager of the Year, a nod to how the team has stayed in the race under his watch. Both projections still depend on San Diego finishing strong, which leaves the Padres with more than one reason to pay close attention to the final weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have A Manny Machado Problem They Cant Ignore
The Padres kept rolling with a 5-0 win over the Reds, getting six shutout innings from Michael King in a game that once again showed how capable this roster can be when the pitching is right. Even with that kind of backdrop, the conversation around the club is shifting toward the lineup and how it has to be handled over the final stretch, especially with Manny Machado carrying the kind of workload that has started to demand more attention.
Manager Craig Stammen has already acknowledged the need to better manage Machados playing time because of injuries, and the timing matters with roster expansion around the corner. San Diego is also dealing with a fresh injury blow in the utility mix, with Luis Rengifo done for 2026 after a torn ACL and MCL, which only tightens the margin for error as the Padres try to keep their key bats available without asking too much of one of their most important ones. [Read more 🡒]