Padres Editorial: Padres Mid-Spring Training Report

Mar 12, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields (33) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

We are halfway through the Spring Training schedule and just under three weeks until the regular season starts. The San Diego Padres are an even 8-8 through 16 games. Like I have written before, the record itself doesn’t matter a ton, but it is worth looking at possible trends. Through 2 1/2 weeks, there have been some surprises and disappointments. Players are fighting to fulfill their dream of playing in the big leagues for the few roster spots that are still open. Some position battles continue to rage on, while other positions seem more solid than ever. In general, the bats have been a positive for once, with the Padres tops in the Cactus League in home runs and the team hitting .275 as a whole.

Luckily so far, the Padres have avoided any major injuries to their projected starters (although the loss of Tim Federowicz is tough). Most of the new bats have been swinging well. There have been some Padres who have burst onto the scene and are making a good case to make the Opening Day roster. Although winning and losing in the spring does not mean a thing when April comes around, we are far enough into the spring where we can look at individuals who are performing well and who is not. Pitchers are starting to throw three to four innings and most of the starters are get around three at bats a game. There is a decent amount of work to analyze who could be in San Diego come April and who will be sent back down to the farm.