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. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Spring Training has come to a close for the San Diego Padres and the rest of Major League Baseball will soon join them as they return to their home cities. Teams will have a few days to make final roster decisions before the 2026 season kicks off on Opening Day and the hunt for the postseason
begins.
The Padres played 32 games throughout the spring season and although the final 26-man roster has not been officially announced, much of the Friar Faithful have an idea of who will be on the field and in the dugout when San Diego hosts the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. PST.
Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball wrote in January about the Steamer and ZiPS projections for the Padres for the 2026 season. With a new manager and an incomplete roster, the projections were skeptical toward San Diego. Steamer projected 80 wins and ZiPS projected high 80s to a 90-win season.
The Friar Faithful have been able to see the team perform throughout the spring, some in person, some via Padres.TV or other media outlets, so they have more information than Steamer and ZiPS had when they gave their projections. The Padres Reacts Survey question this week on Gaslamp Ball is asking respondents to make their predictions about where San Diego will finish in the win column in 2026. Results of the poll will be provided later in the week and at season’s end, Gaslamp Ball will revisit the projections to see if the Padres are higher, lower or right where the majority of readers expected them to be.
