Barring a major collapse, the San Diego Padres will be participating in the MLB playoffs.
The Padres have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. As a matter of fact, since falling to 50-50 on July 19, San Diego has gone 40-16.
There is no question that the Padres look like a dangerous ballclub and could very well be the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League, but Dennis Lin of The Athletic says that they do have one major decision to make heading into the playoffs: deciding who will be the closer.
Robert Suarez has been San Diego’s closer for most of the season, racking up 34 saves and pitching to the tune of a 2.71 ERA. However, he owns a 4.26 ERA since the All-Star break, and with the Padres having bagged Tanner Scott in a trade deadline deal with the Miami Marlins, they could make a switch.
“If there is a concern, it’s the pitch usage of Robert Suarez,” Lin wrote. “The closer rode his fastball-reliant approach to his first All-Star appearance, but he has struggled to consistently miss bats since the first week of August.”
Since arriving in San Diego, Scott has gone 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA, allowing 22 hits while registering 30 strikeouts over 24.2 innings of work. He has logged four saves.
It’s certainly going to be a tough decision for the Padres, who have relied on Suarez all year. However, if Scott seems to be the superior option, San Diego may have to change things.
After all, the Padres absolutely look like legitimate World Series contenders. The heart of their order is lethal, as San Diego boasts four hitters with an OPS above .800. Not only that, but the trio of Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King at the top of the rotation is tough.
It would truly be a shame for the Padres to waste what has been a brilliant second half due to mishandling closer responsibilities.
We’ll see what the club decides to do heading into October.
The San Diego Padres made it to the NLCS in 2022, but they have made a trip to the World Series since 1998 when they were swept by the New York Yankees.
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