San Diego Padres: Considering the Hunter Renfroe Factor

Expectations for the San Diego Padres in 2017 are about as low as possible. Though there is much uncertainty regardless, the emergence of young players is something to seriously consider when objectively evaluating the roster.

It was a late September Tuesday night at Petco Park, a meaningless game between the playoff bound Los Angeles Dodgers and the cellar bound San Diego Padres. It was just another ballgame featuring the recently promoted Austin Hedges, Carlos Asuaje, Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe.

Little did the 27,376 fans in attendance know that what they were about to witness on this evening would be magical.

Of course, this evening would end up being a statement in Renfroe’s young career. In just his second week in the majors, the 24-year-old exploded, hitting two of his four home runs and drove in 7 of his 14 runs. In a 7-1 triumph, the Padres pulled the surprising upset.

As exciting as it was though, the most exciting aspect of this evening was not that San Diego notched its 67th win. The fact that this is likely only the beginning of Renfroe’s emergence onto the major league scene is what had fans going out of their minds on this night. Looking forward to 2017, Renfroe leads a young core of players which uproots a fresh sense of optimism.

And contrary to past seasons, this feeling of excitement is legitimate. With outfield additions in both right and center, the team’s lineup will have a fresh look for 2017. Inexperienced, yes, but a change of scenery for fans at the very least.

Plus, there is much more the Padres can gain with Renfroe and Margot than they are losing. Two players who have gotten their feet wet in the majors but haven’t done enough to earn their way onto opposing pitchers’ radars can be extremely dangerous. For Renfroe especially, his lethal combination of power and a low strikeout rate puts him in a position to break out in his first full season.

The presence of Renfroe doesn’t promise a winning season by any means, but it does present an unpredictable element which contradicts the national media’s narrative of the Padres.

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Since most evaluations of the organization look no further than last season’s record and the inexperience of the roster, not many are seeing Renfroe coming. Certainly not the national media, who just can’t imagine a solid San Diego lineup following 68 win season.

Sure, there are holes, but the Padres have a lot to look forward to in 2017 and beyond. A player like Renfroe is a microcosm of their reason for an optimistic outlook. Despite having only played 11 major league games, any evaluation of the lineup excluding him is illegitimate.

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So dismissing the Padres is a bad idea. Writing them off for this coming season because of last season’s results and this roster’s youth is ridiculous. Want proof? Look no further than Hunter Renfroe. The Renfroe factor can change the circumstances dramatically.