“These teams could be ready for the second half.”
MLB.com on Friday identified seven teams that are poised for a second-half comeback. First on the list was Kim’s San Diego Padres. San Diego is coming off an 0-2 loss at home to the Washington Nationals on Sunday and is in fourth place in the National League West with a 37-40 record. They are 8.5 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks카지노.
San Diego is also 6.5 games behind the third-place Miami Marlins in the National League Wild Card race. They’ll have to overcome the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago Cubs, among others, to make the postseason.
No one expected them to fall this far. The problem is the offense, as evidenced by the 25 games without a run. The bats of the main players have warmed up in June, but the offense is still far below expectations for the season as a whole.
In the National League, the team ranks 14th in batting average at .232, 8th in on-base percentage at .322, 10th in slugging percentage at .399, and 10th in OPS at .721. They are fifth in team home runs with 92, which is a long way from the leaders. Considering the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. and the acquisition of Xander Bogaerts, and the presence of Manny Machado and Juan Soto, this is a pretty disappointing stretch.
Still, MLB.com didn’t see San Diego pulling away in the second half. They pointed out that they’ve been the most disappointing team in the National League this season, and that they have holes in their lineup. Still, they predicted that the mainstays would rally. That means he has faith in Avery.
They also noted the progress of “Mad Men” general manager A.J. Preller. “With the aggressive Preller wary of adding power before the trade deadline, San Diego’s offense shouldn’t struggle as much as it has,” MLB.com wrote.
San Diego has been trying to find a breakthrough lately with Ha-Sung Kim in the leadoff spot. Kim warmed up his power with back-to-back home runs against the San Francisco Giants on March 23 and Washington on March 24. He went hitless against the Nats on the 25th, but hit a huge foul ball, showing that he is adjusting well to his new role. In six games as a leadoff hitter this season, he’s batting .182. However, he has two home runs and an OPS of .808, which isn’t bad.
It’s hard to imagine San Diego actually adding to their lineup at the trade deadline, but something needs to change.