The 2025 MLB postseason is here, with 12 teams vying for their chance to hoist the World Series trophy at the end of October . And with the New York Yankees having their American League Wild Card series opponent figured out (the archrival Boston Red Sox), we can look elsewhere around the league to see which teams will be playing and what to expect when the playoffs begin tomorrow.
One of the two California teams to make the postseason was the San Diego Padres, who finished once again behind the Los
Angeles Dodgers in the race for the NL West crown. But, regardless, they punched their ticket and earned themselves the number five seed in the NL bracket. Now, they have their eyes set on Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs, with the winner booking a flight to Milwaukee to face the top-seeded Brewers in the NLDS.
2025 record: 90-72
Manager: Mike Shildt
Top hitter by fWAR: Fernando Tatis Jr. (6.1)
Top pitcher by fWAR: Nick Pivetta (3.7)
The Padres, despite having continually spent money over the offseason and even spending assets in the trade deadline, continue to feel like the “little brother” to the Dodgers, and it’s not hard to see why. It has been a constant uphill battle against a superstar filled lineup, but this Padres team, with their usual suspects on offense and one of the best bullpens in all of baseball, are looking to navigate their way to their first pennant since 1998.
On the position player side, the names that stand out Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Tatis shone above the rest of his hitting group, with Machado finishing second in fWAR by a significant margin of 2.5, but he still hit the ball relatively well, with a 121 wRC+ compared to Tatis’ 132. That wRC+ number for the 32-year-old Machado is on-par with his previous three seasons, but where Tatis stood out and Machado (uncharacteristically) didn’t was on defense.
Tatis finished his season in the outfield with +8 Outs Above Average, while Machado finished with a -6 at third base. For reference, his two seasons prior were 0 OAA and +12 OAA. Beyond Tatis and Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and Jackson Merrill are among the top secondary contributors, all of whom contributed handily to the Padres offense this season.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment at the plate, though, was Luis Arraez, who finished the season with a 0.9 fWAR and a a middling 104 wRC+, a step down from his 111 wRC+ that he posted in his 117 games played with the Padres last season and a far cry from his prior seasons in Miami, where he finished with 130 and 131 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. That’s not an enormous difference, but Arraez also finished as the fourth-worst defensive first baseman with an OAA of -6 and singles-hitting first basemen are only so valuable.
But if the Padres are going to succeed in the postseason, they’re not only going to need a bat or two to step up. They’re going to rely on their pitching to get the job done.
San Diego boasts a starting rotation with high-profile names like former Yankee Michael King, as well as Yu Darvish, Nick Pivetta, who will be the Game 1 starter, and Dylan Cease. With Joe Musgrove and Nestor Cortes sustaining injuries (and King hobbled for much of the year with shoulder and knee issues), the staff is a little thinner than it could be, but their relief corps is still arguably one of the most talented in the majors.
The bullpen is the Padres bread and butter. Flamethrower Mason Miller has one of the strongest arms on the mound in the game, and Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, and Robert Suarez help lead a bullpen that finished first in the majors with 7.6 fWAR and an ERA of 3.05.
The Cubs are not going to be an easy team to fight in the Wild Card Series. Although they’re missing standout rookie starter Cade Horton, they play strong defense and have weapons on the offensive side of the ball to make any team pay, especially if they get hot (check out my colleague Matt’s preview on them, going live tomorrow). However, the Padres do have the names and players with playoff history at the plate and on the mound to help them advance forward to the NLDS.
Of course, it’s one thing at a time for every team in the postseason, and San Diego needs to beat Chicago first. But regardless of who they’re playing, the Padres always feel like an interesting watch come postseason time, for one reason or another. This year shouldn’t be any different.
