Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.
It has been a season of opportunity for some of the players on the San Diego Padres roster. Some of those players have taken full advantage of their opportunity and that could result in more playing time, higher expectations or in some cases more money.
Ty France
France signed with the Padres in the offseason on a minor league deal. He was promised
nothing but an opportunity to make the team and the Gold Glove Award winner did that out of Spring Training. There was a time where he and Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos were all expected to share time at first base and France was thought to possibly be the odd man out. His play turned not only allowed him to outlast Castellanos on the San Diego roster, but it also cemented him into the No. 4 hole in the lineup. France has performed on defense and has provided production at the plate. He has 344 at-bats with 99 hits, 18 of which were home runs, for a .288 average. France also has 56 RBI, 44 runs scored and has even stolen a base.
Luis Campusano
Campusano finally got some regular playing time under new Padres manager Craig Stammen. The catcher finally had a manager who was going to allow him to play free and play often without the fear of being sent back to the minors the first time he hit a slump or failed to block a ball in the dirt. Campusano has responded with a solid season in which he has amassed 143 at-bats with 41 hits, five home runs, 23 RBI and 18 runs scored. He holds a .287 average on the season and has been able to catch and serve as the designated hitter throughout the season.
Walker Buehler
Buehler, like France, was only promised an opportunity. He got more of a chance than he thought when Joe Musgrove was unable to be ready to return to the mound following Tommy John surgery and Nick PIvetta went down with arm issues early in the season. Randy Vasquez started the season strong but quickly faded. Buehler has had some duds this season, but overall, he has been a consistent starter for a team that was limited to Michael King in terms of pitchers who could take the mound and instill confidence in the team and the fanbase. Buehler has appeared in and started 26 games in 2026. He has a record of 8-6 with a 4.63 ERA. He has thrown 126.1 innings and has 108 strikeouts over that span. He is 3-1 in his last seven games with a 2.89 ERA and has only gotten better as the regular season winds down.
Bradgley Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a rookie reliever who flashed at the end of the 2025 season. He started this season with the big-league club and was even sent to the minors for a short period to give him a break due to his level off usage early in the season. Rodriguez has slowly climbed his way toward the top end of the bullpen arms and after finding himself involved in more high-leverage innings, an argument could be made he is the best arm in the ‘pen behind Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. Rodriguez has appeared in 55 games, throwing 60.0 innings. He has started four games as an opener and saved two as a closer. He has a record of 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 65 strikeouts.
All four of these players have been impressive and each is deserving of recognition for their respective contributions to the success of the Padres to this point in the 2026 season. Gaslamp Ball would like to know who the Friar Faithful thinks has been the most impressive this season. Results will be posted later in the week.
Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
