The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

From being called out publicly by his general manager, manager, and third base coach during an historically wretched season one year, to being robbed of an MVP award after falling just short of a 40-homer, 40-steal campaign the next, Matt Kemp was an enigma. Because he focused more on basketball than baseball growing up, his instincts for the sport sometimes lagged behind his physical abilities, but at his best, he was a superstar, and a sight to behold thanks to his speed and power — a combination of traits that earned him the nickname “The Bison.” He made three All-Star teams and won two Gold Gloves (despite subpar metrics), but unfortunately, a series of injuries to his shoulders and legs compromised those abilities. The $160 million contract he signed after that near-MVP 2011 season became a millstone that sent him from team to team during its eight-year run. Read the rest of this entry »

For the 22nd consecutive season, the ZiPS projection system is unleashing a full set of prognostications. For more information on the ZiPS projections, please consult this year’s introduction, as well as MLB’s glossary entry. The team order is selected by lot, and the next team up is the San Diego Padres.

Batters

The season ended in disappointing fashion, as the Padres lost the NL Wild Card Series in three games against the Cubs. But overall, 2025 has to be considered a success for San Diego. For the first time in franchise history, the Padres passed the 90-win mark in consecutive seasons, and they did so against the backdrop of their owner’s death and their TV provider going bankrupt. They also lost Joe Musgrove for the year, and possibly Yu Darvish permanently. The Friars patched just enough pitching and hitting together to threaten the Dodgers’ supremacy in the division, and now they’ll try to do it again, without Dylan Cease and with a nearly maxed out payroll.

The good news is San Diego seems to have mitigated two of the problems on offense that ZiPS saw coming into last year. Ramón Laureano, whose career looked to be on life support a year ago, has largely returned to form, and though ZiPS is not projecting another .855 OPS from him, it does think he’s a legitimate, non-problematic starter in left field. ZiPS was quite down on catcher Elias Díaz, and while midseason acquisition Freddy Fermin didn’t hit all that well last year, he has a better offensive track record, and he’s still not far past 30. ZiPS still doesn’t like the team’s situation at first base, where Jake Cronenworth is set to play now that Luis Arraez is a free agent.

Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. remain terrific, and while Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are likely on the downslope of their careers, that’s more of a long-term worry than a problem for this year. I’d feel better about the Padres if they had a better starter at either first or designated hitter, but this is a solidly above-average lineup.

Pitchers

What San Diego gets from the rotation might truly determine the team’s ceiling and floor. ZiPS isn’t pegging Nick Pivetta to repeat his 2025, but he’s solid, and fairly durable, and that’s quite valuable. Bringing back Michael King was necessary, as this rotation just isn’t good enough to absorb the loss of both King and Cease, even if King chooses to opt out after the 2026 season. But the questions begin after the two of them. I’ve always liked Musgrove, and ZiPS thinks he’ll be fine, but there’s a great deal of risk for any pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, especially immediately.

After Musgrove, the questions grow darker still. Randy Vásquez had a 3.84 ERA in 2025, with peripherals that didn’t remotely support that performance, and let’s just say that baseball has a long history of pitchers who are declared to have invalidated FIP theory, right before it becomes clear that no such thing happened. JP Sears is pure innings-eater, and while he remains the last Sears location open for business, that’s not saying much at this point. ZiPS likes Kyle Hart more as a reliever than a starter, and cordially hates all the other starting options currently in the organization, with the possible exception of any surprise reliever–>starter conversions.

ZiPS isn’t as excited as Steamer is about the bullpen, but it does see it as a solid B/B+ squad. Mason Miller is, of course, absolutely stunning, and ZiPS likes the Adrian Morejon/Jeremiah Estrada/Jason Adam part of the supporting cast. But it’s lukewarm on guys like Wandy Peralta and David Morgan, and doesn’t really care for the back of the pen. There’s only one “no name special” here, in that ZiPS is highly interested in Garrett Hawkins, with a 3.70 ERA projected as a reliever, and would very much like to see him in the big league bullpen soon. Well, if ZiPS actually had human feelings, of course.

The Padres look a lot like the 2025 team, with a win projection in the high 80s and 90 being well within the probable range. But it’s a fragile 90 wins. A few nasty surprises in the rotation could unravel things very quickly, as the team doesn’t have a deep farm system at the moment to acquire good starting pitching.

Ballpark graphic courtesy Eephus League. Depth charts constructed by way of those listed here. Size of player names is very roughly proportional to Depth Chart playing time. The final team projections may differ considerably from our Depth Chart playing time.

Players are listed with their most recent teams wherever possible. This includes players who are unsigned or have retired, players who will miss 2026 due to injury, and players who were released in 2025. So yes, if you see Joe Schmoe, who quit baseball back in August to form a Ambient Math-Rock Trip-Hop Yacht Metal band that only performs in abandoned malls, he’s still listed here intentionally. ZiPS is assuming a league with an ERA of 4.16.

Hitters are ranked by zWAR, which is to say, WAR values as calculated by me, Dan Szymborski, whose surname is spelled with a z. WAR values might differ slightly from those that appear in the full release of ZiPS. Finally, I will advise anyone against — and might karate chop anyone guilty of — merely adding up WAR totals on a depth chart to produce projected team WAR. It is important to remember that ZiPS is agnostic about playing time, and has no information about, for example, how quickly a team will call up a prospect or what veteran has fallen into disfavor.

As always, incorrect projections are either caused by misinformation, a non-pragmatic reality, or by the skillful sabotage of our friend and former editor. You can, however, still get mad at me on Twitter or on Bluesky. This last is, however, not an actual requirement.

Already an appealing addition based on cool name factor alone, Korean infielder Sung-mun Song put himself on the MLB radar with a late-20s breakout for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. The 29-year-old was posted by Kiwoom last month on the heels of back-to-back .900+ OPS seasons that saw him crank 45 total home runs, and FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first to report that Song’s hard work has achieved the purest form of recognition our society can offer: money.

The Padres have reportedly reached an agreement with Song on a three-year deal, which The Athletic’s Dennis Lin says is for around $15 million total. Since San Diego is sort of pot-committed to this Manny Machado character as its everyday third baseman, Lin reports that Song is expected to bounce around the infield, filling in only occasionally at his primary position and appearing at second and first base more often. Read the rest of this entry »

The San Diego Padres have re-signed starting pitcher Michael King to a… let’s just call it a three-year deal worth $75 million for now, though the particulars are somewhat more complicated.

Good for the Padres, getting their Christmas shopping done on time; not all of us are so organized. I also can’t remember if I’ve already used the joke about how a reunion between King and the Friars is the opposite of Becket, the 1964 film starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole. These are confusing times.

Especially for the Padres, who have been one of baseball’s more chaotic teams in the 2020s, shipping massive talents in and out with little warning and little regard for the long-term future. King came to San Diego in one of the more famous examples of this behavior: the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees in 2023.

That all-in attitude — even when the Padres were selling in the short term, it was to set up another major push in the medium term — was assumed to have a shelf life. Especially after the death of popular owner Peter Seidler, whose largesse enabled GM A.J. Preller to satisfy his inexhaustible thirst for making deals. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Before he turned 25 years old, Cole Hamels had already reached the pinnacle of the baseball world. At the tail end of his third major league season, the lanky lefty — listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds — had gone 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA during the 2008 postseason, leading the Phillies to their first championship since 1980 and winning NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player honors along the way. Suddenly, the aura he projected — a handsome laidback surfer from San Diego — needed an upgrade. He became a celebrity, expected to dress the part and live up to outsized expectations, both of which he did with some amount of awkwardness but a fair level of success.

Hamels spent the first 9 1/2 seasons of his major league career with the Phillies, part of the nucleus that helped them climb out of the doldrums to become a powerhouse that won five straight division titles. Armed with a fastball that could reach the mid-90s, an above-average curve, and a killer changeup — inspired by watching Padres closer Trevor Hoffman in his heyday — Hamels was a master of deception thanks to his consistency in throwing those three pitches from the same release point. “It’s devastating for a hitter when all of them look like a fastball, and two of them aren’t,” pitching guru Tom House, who worked with Hamels when he was a junior in high school, told Sports Illustrated’s Ben Reiter in 2009.

Hamels’ career wasn’t without hiccups. He missed significant time due to injuries while in the minors, including both the usual arm troubles and a fracture in his pitching hand, sustained during a barroom brawl while standing up for a close friend. Although he helped the Phillies get a shot at repeating their title in 2009, his postseason was a disaster; during the World Series against the Yankees, he nearly came to blows with teammate Brett Myers. At times he was overshadowed by other members of his rotation, Cy Young winners for whom the Phillies traded in case Hamels wasn’t enough, namely Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. For as well as he pitched, Hamels himself never came close to winning a Cy Young, and he made just four All-Star teams. Read the rest of this entry »

Intern, Sports Science

DEPARTMENT: Sports Science
REPORTS TO: Director, Sports Science
STATUS: Seasonal; Non-Exempt

*This seasonal position will end after 6 months but less than 1 year from the start of employment. *

San Diego Padres Commitment:
The San Diego Padres are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for our employees. We strive to create an environment for everyone by including perspectives from backgrounds that vary by race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, and national origin.

If you are not sure you’re 100% qualified but are up for the challenge – we want you to apply. We believe skills are transferable and passion for our mission goes a long way.

Your role as an Intern, Sports Science:
You will collect, organize, analyze and report player measurables including ball, bat, and body tracking data to help deliver actionable insights to stakeholders across multiple departments. You will aid in the creation, implementation, and monitoring of individualized Player Development goals.

All the responsibilities we will trust you with:

• Overseeing the implementation of various technologies at affiliates or spring training complex
• Obtaining expert-level knowledge of the interfaces of each technology. Ensuring the collection of data is seamless and unintrusive to the normal flow of the day
• Conducting and ensuring proper and timely administration of tests/retests to evaluate physical and physiological responses to training
• Working within an interdisciplinary team to build and generate accurate and actionable reports. Assisting with the interpretation of data & reports for multiple stakeholders
• Contribute to the continued education of all players, coaches, and other staff on the technologies and analytics being used by the Padres and the meaning of their output for all facets of the game
• Leveraging SQL and research skills to quickly conduct ad-hoc queries for PD coaches and staff
• Assisting in the implementation and operation of Hawk-Eye data collection
• Ensuring the Hawk-Eye unit is functioning properly for all games and relevant bullpen sessions, live BPs, etc.
• Ensuring the accurate and organized collection of Hawk-Eye data for medical and/or R&D processes
• Overseeing the transfer of Hawk-Eye data to all pertinent downstream users
• Obtaining required knowledge to support the understanding and implementation of Hawk-Eye ball-, bat-, and player-tracking data to coaches
• Timely interpretation and communication of pertinent data to key stakeholders
• Assisting Player Development personnel with the integration of information provided by the other departments of Baseball Operations
• Overseeing the implementation and use of the player dashboard, obtain expert level knowledge of its functions, and support in the communication of advance reports and other relevant data
• Represents the Club in a positive and professional manner at all times
• Other duties as assigned

Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most:

• Maintain an understanding of current public baseball research and emerging statistical tools, datasets, and technologies
• Proficiency in data visualization/interpretation and programming is a plus
• Proficient computer skills including experience with MS Office products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, and general knowledge of office skills and use of office equipment
• Possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and effectively work well with others in a collaborative, respectful manner
• Exceptional time management and organizational skills with capacity to handle high volumes of detailed work, multi-task and manage projects on strict deadlines
• Maintain professional demeanor with a high degree of discretion, integrity, and accountability
• Maintain consistent, punctual, and reliable attendance
• Fluently bilingual in English/Spanish a plus, but not necessary

You will be required to meet the following:

• Must be at least 18 years of age by the start of employment
• 4-year Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in related field. Course work in biomechanics, sports science, or kinesiology is a plus
• Able to work independently within a larger diverse team requiring constant communication
• Able to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends, holidays and extended hours as needed
• Able to travel as needed
• Minimum physical requirements: able to travel to and gain access to various areas of the ballpark for prolonged periods of time during games and events; able to lift and transport up to 25 pounds
• As a condition of employment, you must successfully complete all post-offer, pre-employment requirements, including but not limited to a background check 

Pay and additional compensation:
The hourly pay rate for this position is $15.15 in AZ. Seasonal, non-union employees are subject to the respective state Minimum Wage and rates will increase accordingly.

In addition to your hourly rate, the Padres offer PTO, employee discounts, appreciation, and recognition opportunities.

The San Diego Padres are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To Apply
To apply, please follow this link.

The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the San Diego Padres.

When our 2025 Colorado Rockies Top Prospect list was published last January, a 24-year-old pitcher coming off of an underwhelming season ranked 14th with a 45+ FV. Over 54 innings with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, Juan Mejia had logged a 5.00 ERA and an equally-unhealthy 12.3% walk rate. Eric Longenhagen nonetheless remained enamored of his potential. Offering a “relatively bullish projection,” our lead prospect analyst wrote that the righty “is too freaky to slide,” because he possessed “one of the more explosive and athletic deliveries in the minors” as well as a mid-to-high-90s fastball and an “overtly nasty” slider.

Longenhagen’s faith was realized in the youngster’s rookie season. Not only did Mejia make 55 appearances, he put up a 3.96 ERA, a 3.71 FIP, and a 26.1% strikeout rate over 61-and-a-third innings. Among Rockies relievers, only Jimmy Herget took the mound more frequently and tossed more frames.

When I spoke to Mejia at Fenway Park this past summer — Colorado PR staffer Edwin Perez served as an interpreter — I learned that he has a connection with Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. Both were signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, and they were together, along with other starry-eyed hopefuls, when Mejia first caught the eye of a Rockies scout.

“When I was 16, I was doing a tryout,” recalled Mejia, who hails from Baní, roughly an hour south of Santo Domingo. “I don’t remember how many teams were there, but there were a lot of them. That’s where I met Brayan Bello, who a lot of scouts were there to see. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of my ongoing look at the candidates on the 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, use the navigation tool above. An introduction to JAWS can be found here.

Though he won the Rookie of the Year award, a Cy Young, and a World Series all in his first full season while beginning a six-year streak of All-Star selections — the first of those as the game’s starter — Fernando Valenzuela wasn’t just a star pitcher. He was an international icon, the centerpiece of a cultural phenomenon, and a beloved global ambassador who brought generations of Mexican American and Latino fans to baseball while helping to heal the wounds caused by the building of Dodger Stadium, the very ballpark in which he starred.

“Roberto Clemente is ‘The Great One,’ but culturally, Fernando Valenzuela has been more significant in terms of bringing a fan base that didn’t exist in baseball,” José de Jesus Ortiz, the first Latino president of the BBWAA, told author Erik Sherman for Daybreak at Chavez Ravine, a 2023 biography of Valenzuela. Sherman himself described the pitcher as “like a composite of the Beatles — only in Dodger blue. His appeal was universal.”

After excelling in a relief role during a September 1980 cup of coffee with the Dodgers — as a 19-year-old in the heat of a playoff race, no less — Valenzuela took the world by storm the following spring. Pressed into service as the Opening Day starter, he threw a five-hit shutout, then reeled off four more shutouts and six more complete games within his first eight starts, a span during which he posted a 0.50 ERA. Despite speaking barely a word of English, the portly portsider (listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, but generally presumed to be at least 20 pounds heavier) charmed the baseball world with his bashful smile while bedeviling hitters with impeccable command of his screwball, delivered following a high leg kick and a skyward gaze at the peak of his windup.

Read the rest of this entry »

We’re less than a month from the Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft, which means it’s a good time to evaluate every team’s 40-man roster situation. This is the time of year when teams have one final chance to protect Rule 5 eligible players by placing them on the 40-man. Eligibility is determined by a mix of how long a player has been with their parent organization and how young they were when they signed: Players who signed at 18 or younger must be added to the 40-man within five seasons, while everyone else must be added within four. RosterResource monitors Rule 5 eligibility, if you’re curious to see the lay of the land.

During the season, teams can free up roster space by placing an injured player on the 60-day IL. In the offseason, teams don’t get extra slots for injured players, which tends to put pressure on the back of the roster. The Diamondbacks are a good example of how space can tighten quickly, as they’ve currently got six pitchers battling long-term injuries occupying a spot. You may have noticed a flurry of moves immediately following the World Series, with many teams outrighting players off the 40-man in order to make room for all the guys who were on the IL.

Below, I’ve assessed every National League team’s 40-man roster situation (Eric will sort through the American League tomorrow). Some teams, like the Braves, have plenty of roster space, and thus a lot of flexibility in adding whoever they like. Others, like the Cardinals and Marlins, will face some tough choices as they seek to balance protecting interesting prospects with retaining players already on the roster, as well as finding room for prospective additions via trade or free agency. Some clubs don’t have many impact players to add, while others may need to protect a half-dozen or so guys. I’ve tried to identify which players are most likely to be added, which guys on the 40-man are vulnerable to getting lopped off in a roster crunch, and who could be moved in a deal to free up roster space. Let’s dig in. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of my ongoing look at the candidates on the 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. Originally written for the 2015 election at SI.com, it has been updated to reflect recent voting results as well as additional research. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, use the navigation tool above. An introduction to JAWS can be found here.

Wherever Gary Sheffield went, he made noise, both with his bat and his voice. For the better part of two decades, he ranked among the game’s most dangerous hitters, a slugger with a keen batting eye and a penchant for contact that belied his quick, violent swing. For even longer than that, he was one of the game’s most outspoken players, unafraid to speak up when he felt he was being wronged and unwilling to endure a situation that wasn’t to his liking. He was a polarizing player, and hardly one for the faint of heart.

At the plate, Sheffield was viscerally impressive like few others. With his bat twitching back and forth like the tail of a tiger waiting to pounce, he was pure menace in the batter’s box. He won a batting title, launched over 500 home runs — he had 14 seasons with at least 20 and eight with at least 30 — and put many a third base coach in peril with some of the most terrifying foul balls anyone has ever seen. For as violent as his swing may have been, it was hardly wild; not until his late 30s did he strike out more than 80 times in a season, and in his prime, he walked far more often than he struck out.

Bill James wrote of Sheffield in the 2019 Bill James Handbook:

“In all the years that I have been with the Red Sox, 16 years now, there has never been a player the Red Sox were more concerned about, as an opponent, than Gary Sheffield. Sheffield was a dynamite hitter and a fierce competitor… When he was in the game, you knew exactly where he was from the first pitch to the last pitch. He conceded nothing; he was looking not only to beat you, but to embarrass you. He was on the highest level.”

Two decades before that, James referred to Sheffield as “an urban legend in his own mind,” referencing the slugger’s penchant for controversy. Sheffield found it before he ever reached the majors through his connection to his uncle, Dwight Gooden. He was drafted and developed by the Brewers, who had no idea how to handle such a volatile player and wound up doing far more harm than good. Small wonder then that from the time he was sent down midway through his rookie season after being accused of faking an injury, he was mistrustful of team management and wanted out. And when he wanted out — of Milwaukee, Los Angeles, or New York — he let everyone know it, and if a bridge had to burn, so be it; it was Festivus every day for Sheffield, who was always willing to air his grievances. Read the rest of this entry »