The San Diego Padres have made the postseason for the third consecutive season. Each team claimed a playoff berth in a slightly different manner.
The 2024 and 2025 clubs leaned heavily on pitching to earn back-to-back postseason appearances. Often, the Padres required perfection from their pitching staff to stay competitive in a postseason series.
This season, the Friars rode their offense into October baseball, highlighted by clutch hitting from Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado,
and Ty France. That same formula helped them advance into the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The bats are hot
The Padres may have the most explosive offense remaining in the postseason. Since July 17, the team’s batting average is .270. This is a remarkable feat because they posted a .226 batting average through the first 96 games of the 2026 season.
You cannot argue with the results; the Friars scored 343 runs in the team’s final 66 games. The offense averaged 5.20 runs per game, and it may be their blueprint for victory over the top-seeded Brewers.
Quick work in eliminating the Cubs
Granted, the starting pitching deserves some of the credit, but the bats set the tone for the series win over the Cubs. The lineup batted .328, outscored Chicago 12-1, and slugged four home runs in the two-game sweep. Machado’s bat came alive at the right time, as he hit .429 (3-for-7) with a home run, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.
The results offer a stark contrast to last season. The Padres struggled badly at the plate in the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. In defeat, the team batted .189 and scored only five runs. The most alarming stat was the lineup striking out 20 times in 95 at-bats.
The Brewers’ pitching staff will be a formidable challenge for the Friars’ lineup. They must continue delivering timely hits with runners in scoring position. In the Cubs series, the club batted .500 (5-for-10) with RISP.
You might see small ball come into play in this division series. It is the perfect source to plate runs in expected low-scoring contests.
Good-hitting teams know playoff success begins and ends with quality pitching. The Padres have the right balance, and the Friar Faithful hope the magic continues for another postseason series.
