As Christmas nears, we look at what the San Diego Padres are asking for Christmas this year.
Dear Santa,
It has been another playoff-less year here in our great town of San Diego. But hey, we should be used to it, as we have not made the postseason since 2006. Here are some things that we would like for Christmas that could get us back into the playoff picture.
A Starting Pitcher That Capable Of Winning
The San Diego Padres need severe help with their starting pitching rotation. There was not a starting pitcher on the roster that had a winning record. We cannot win games unless we keep the other team from scoring. It is more than evident that the ERA of our rotation was awful. The 4.08 ERA from Joey Lucchesi was the best from the rotation last season. If Santa could give the Padres Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, or Mike Fiers, they would be great additions.
A Hitter That Can Get On Base
Our team was dead last in the MLB in On Base Percentage, tied for 29th in Batting Average, and 28th in Runs Batted In. Eric Hosmer led the team in Batting Average last season, finishing at .253. We did not have a single player crack the top 90 in batting average. While Hosmer was a leader at points last season, we must expect more from our franchise player.
Zack Thompson
The 2019 draft class is loaded with talent, so the talented lefty from the University of Kentucky could fall to the sixth spot. Thompson could be just what we need in the staring rotation. He has more control over his pitches than any pitcher we have seen in some time. The sophomore posted a 3.45 ERA, and finished the season with an 8-3 record. Thompson could become a huge star in the MLB, and we would love for San Diego to be his MLB home.
A Winning Season
It has been eight years since we have had a winning season, so we are long overdue for one. There is not a lot to look forward to for us, as we have no big name prospects doing well, despite having a high pick in the draft for the past eight years. We brought in Ian Kinsler this offseason to try and get moving in the right direction. If we could make some big moves in the next few offseasons, we could make a run for the playoffs in a few years. Until then, we just have to rely on hope.
Sincerely,
The San Diego Padres