One of the San Diego Padres’ best under-the-radar pickups of the offseason is Ty France.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller added the Gold Glove first baseman for his defense, but it’s actually France’s offense that has provided an unexpected spark to the Padres lineup this season.
France is slugging .524 in 2026, which is the highest SLG by a Padres’ first baseman since Adrian Gonzalez in 2009 (with a minimum of 300 plate appearances). On the season, France is batting .296 with 17 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .877 OPS.
France signed a minor league contract with the Padres and earned his way to the Opening Day roster as a bench player. Flash forward to August, France has been an invaluable member in the Padres’ turnaround in recent weeks.
The Padres selected France in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, so his success with San Diego is essentially years in the making. The infielder made his major league debut as a Padre in 2019, but was traded the following season to the Seattle Mariners.
Preller took a chance on the veteran by adding him on a minor league deal ahead of the 2026 season and the signing has evidently paid off.
The 32-year-old’s breakout season can’t be understated, given he’s been an average player for all of his career with a .735 OPS and a 1.3 WAR across seven seasons.
France’s eighth year in MLB has proven to be his best. The San Diego State University product is one of two first baseman in the MLB hitting .280 or better with an OPS over .870.
On the defensive end, France ranks in the 94th percentile in Outs Above Average with a plus-six grade. He also has tallied 12 Defensive Runs Saved.
The Padres, though enduring struggles at the beginning of the year, have gotten red hot at the right time. They entered Saturday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians looking for their seventh straight win, but fell, 6-1.
The Padres are 11-4 in their last 15 games and are 16-5 in their last 21 games. The Friars have soared in the National League standings and are currently tied for the final NL Wild Card spot.