Inside The Padres

Dodgers' Trolling Apparently Awoke Padres' Jurickson Profar

Maren Angus-Coombs

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
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Only one member of the San Diego Padres ranks in the top 10 in the major leagues in batting average and on-base percentage, and the top 20 in slugging percentage.

Since the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith described San Diego's Jurickson Profar as "irrelevant," he has become the best player on the Padres. In 17 games post-diss, he is slashing .362/.441/.517. The diss was inspired by Profar’s reaction to an inside pitch on April 13, which sparked a benches-clearing incident. His teammates agree.

“He’s been our best player,” Fernando Tatis Jr. told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Quoted in the same article, Manny Machado agreed.

“He’s leading this team,” Machado said.

Profar drove in three runs with a double in the Padres' win over the Dodgers the day following the incident and has stayed hot ever since.

Profar enters Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks slashing .342/.431/.523, leading the Padres by 73 points in batting average, 88 points in OBP, and 53 points in slugging percentage. He's batting .360 with runners in scoring position and his .444 average with runners on base is 126 points higher than his next teammate. He also leads the team with four game-winning RBIs.

Profar has become one of the best stories in Major League Baseball. The 31-year-old has played in parts of nine big league seasons the most he will cost the Padres this season, if he reaches 600 plate appearances, is $2.5 million.

“I always expect myself to play like this,” Profar said. “I didn’t do it before. But right now I am. I’m this player, man. I am.”

The Padres know they can't rely on Profar all season. Eventually, other guys will have to step up. Xander Bogaerts is batting .217/.284/.287, Machado .250/.302/.383 and Tatis .233/.324/.426. While they wait for their stars to come around, the Padres will ride Profar's hot hand – and maybe wait for another opponent's harsh words to provide motivation.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.