The San Diego Padres have had a stellar season thus far. They have kept within striking distance in the National League West, sitting just one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers going into Wednesday’s matchups.
San Diego bolstered their roster with a flurry of moves at the trade deadline, bringing in multiple bats and arms. They have put themselves in a great position to finish the regular season with momentum and continue their season into October.
However, that does not mean the team is without its concerning factors. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden pointed to the state of the team’s starting rotation as something that could cost the club down the stretch.
“However, their main concern is the starting pitching. Michael King (left knee inflammation) is on the IL and has started only 11 games this season, Dylan Cease is carrying a 4.82 ERA, and Joe Musgrove hasn’t thrown a pitch this season as he recovers from Tommy John.”
Yu Darvish has been inconsistent since returning from the IL, and Randy Vasquez is still working to get to where he wants to be. At this point, San Diego has only had three pitchers who have thrown 80 innings.
“The Padres will go as far as their starting pitching can take them, but it’s a huge concern down the stretch and into the playoffs.”
The Padres hold an elite team ERA despite starting pitching concerns
Despite having some concerns about their starting pitchers, the Padres have made it hard for opposing teams to score runs. They hold a team ERA of 3.59, which ranks them second-best, right behind the Texas Rangers’ 3.43 ERA.
Much of this can be attributed to quality starts and an elite bullpen. If they can continue to get quality starts when needed and the bullpen continues to be nails, the Padres could make a deep run this season.
