If you thought the 2026 San Diego Padres were dead in the water, you not alone, and you had very good reason.
A little more than a month ago, the Padres’ path to getting back to the postseason was beginning to disappear. They’d shown flashes of the team many expected them to be, but it was never enough for them to make a real push in the wild-card standings, let alone the NL West.
In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, the Padres had real reasons to consider being sellers. Several teams were checking in on San Diego’s biggest trade asset, closer Mason Miller, and even for MLB’s most aggressive executive in A.J. Preller, it looked as if time had run out.
But with a strong run of play that included winning eight of nine games leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline, things changed. Suddenly, the Padres were back in the mix and going for it. Forget any thought of selling; Preller added starters Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to a group that desperately needed starting pitching reinforcements.
Since then, this team has gotten hot — really hot.
The Padres are 15-5 in their past 20 games, and with that, they’ve not just gotten back into the postseason conversation; they’ve actually jumped six teams in the standings and taken control of the second NL wild-card spot. In the process, they’ve started to look like a team nobody will want to face in the postseason.
The Padres’ hot streak has come at the time of the season when every team hopes to turn it on. But what makes this squad so scary now that they’re in postseason position? Well, it’s a combination of a few things they do well.
Reignited star power
San Diego’s engine is its stars. And after a disappointing and underwhelming first half from the big names in the lineup, lately they’ve delivered plenty of production to drive the offense.
One of the biggest stories of the first half was Fernando Tatis Jr.’s sudden inability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. The Padres’ leadoff man didn’t hit his first home run until May 30. But that day was the beginning of a turnaround, as he has since returned to being one of the more productive players in baseball. Since June 1, Tatis is slashing .292/.365/.506 with 11 homers.
It wasn’t just Tatis whose first half left much to be desired. Third baseman Manny Machado was the worst qualified hitter in baseball on June 8, hitting just .166 on the season. Despite his years of MVP-level production and accolades, Machado was looking like a completely different player in 2026. But a red-hot July, in which the third baseman recorded a .922 OPS with seven homers, marked a turning point as Machado found his groove.
Last but not least is Jackson Merrill, who was in a long rut of his own. Since being one of the premier players in baseball as a rookie in 2024, the center fielder had struggled to find that All-Star form.
Not so anymore. Merrill has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the past month, hitting .320 with 11 homers and 32 RBI since July 1. His renewed confidence has given San Diego yet another big-time bat with the ability to do damage at any moment.
Rejuvenated slugging
There’s an old adage in baseball: “Ball go far, team go far.” Because historically, teams that do well in the postseason hit the ball out of the ballpark. When San Diego is playing well, it usually means the stars are carrying the team, with Tatis, Machado and Merrill hitting the ball out of the ballpark.
And while the 2026 Padres’ home run numbers as a team aren’t where they’ve been in years past, relative to the rest of the league, since July 1, this lineup is eighth in MLB in slugging percentage and 10th in homers.
And it’s not just the Padres’ marquee trio providing the power production. In his first season in San Diego, first baseman Ty France is having one of the best years of his career, slashing .295/.349/.525 with 17 homers and an .874 OPS.
Elite bullpen arms
For the past five years, the Padres’ postseason success has been built on a bullpen with the ability to shut down games. Miller is baseball’s most dominant closer; his 0.88 ERA and 30 saves are reflective of an elite weapon to deploy late in games.
And it’s not just Miller. Adrian Moréjon, Jeremiah Estrada, Bradgley Rodriguez and Wandy Peralta all help form one of the most reliable bullpens in baseball, which currently ranks fifth in bullpen ERA. When a team can shorten games and lessen the load on its starting pitching, that becomes a huge advantage, especially in October.
Over the past few weeks, the Padres have returned to looking like the confident, dangerous bunch we always expected them to be. Even in a year when it took them about 100 games to wake up, they’ve found their stride just in time.
For the teams they might face in the postseason, that’s really bad news.