Padres History: Players Who Have Donned #53

There are 53 days left until the San Diego Padres open up the season on April 6th against the Dodgers in Chavez Ravine. There will be a different feeling this season, in a good way. To help us get through the next 7 weeks, I will periodically highlight players who have wore the jersey number of the days remaining until first pitch on April 6th. There are a few Padres who have donned the number 53 that are worth recognizing….

Adam Eaton, P

Eaton pitched for the Friars from 2000-2005. In his six seasons with San Diego, he went 47-41 with a 4.34 ERA. He also had 623 strikeouts, which is actually tenth all-time on the franchise list. He was a solid, consistent part of the rotation for a few years. Once he left the Padres, he never was the same. He never again had an ERA below 5. He finished his career bouncing around to the Rangers, Phillies, Orioles and Rockies.

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Eric Stults, P

The most recent one was Eric Stults, who pitched three full seasons with the Padres. With all the new additions to the lineup and pitching staff, Stults was left out for 2015. He recently signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. Stults at times was a solid part of a good Padres rotation. He finished his Padres career 27-33 with a 3.87 ERA. His best season in San Diego was 2013. He won 11 games with a 3.93 ERA and 131 strikeouts. He also was able to pitch 203 innings.

Next: Ranking The Padres Second Base Prospects

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