The Padres Have a Hidden Advantage in the NL West Race

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 9, 2024

James A. Pittman-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres have shifted in high gear and are heading towards the playoffs at full speed.

After a loss on July 19, the Padres were an even .500 (50-50) and on the outside looking in when it came to the National League playoff picture. 

After sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, San Diego is 12 games above .500 (64-52) and in sole possession of the NL's top Wild Card spot. They are also four games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in their division.

San Diego also has a hidden advantage that could propel them into the postseason.

The Padres have one of the easiest schedules in Major League Baseball moving forward. The combined winning percentage of their remaining schedule (as of Tuesday) is .481, giving them the 26th-weakest schedule of all 30 teams.

Comparing that to their biggest competition in the NL West is shocking. The Arizona Diamondbacks' schedule is the 10th-most difficult, while the Dodgers rank 15th.

However, the Padres have three games left against both of those divisional foes which could be offset by the nine games they have left against the league;s three worst teams – Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins.

The Padres visit Miami for three games beginning Friday.

The Padres have also done an incredible job beating up on good teams.

San Diego has taken series wins over two first-place teams and one that has been in first a decent amount of time and still sports one of baseball's best records. They won two against the Cleveland Guardians, two against the Baltimore Orioles, swept the Dodgers in a two-game set, and just took three from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Their offense is getting production from its biggest stars and the team is averaging 5.6 runs per game since the All-Star break. A sampling of their top four hitters since the break reveals who's driving the offensive engine; all four have appeared in all 17 games since the break:

• Manny Machado has a .900 OPS, five homers, 12 runs and 12 RBIs.

• Xander Bogaerts has a .400 batting average, 12 runs, six extra-base hits, two steals and a .955 OPS.

• Jurickson Profar has a .931 OPS with five homers, 14 RBIs and 14 runs

• Rookie sensation Jackson Merrill has a .991 OPS and .344 average with seven doubles, 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored.

San Diego is still a longshot to win the division but they do hold the tiebreaker over the Dodgers. Things are definitely looking up as the Padres continue gaining momentum with each win.