San Diego Padres: Week #20 power rankings update

Where do the San Diego Padres rank among the rest of baseball after a 4-3 homestand? We take a look at the most credible lists.

The Padres had a respectable seven game stretch of games at Petco Park, highlighted by a sweep of the Phillies. Though they struggled with the Nationals, one of the better clubs in all of baseball, the power rankers haven’t move the Padres far in either direction this week.

With just six weeks left, San Diego better get to winning some more games if they look to finish 2017 within the top 20 of any of these lists. But for now, it is encouraging to see that the lowest they rank on any of these lists is 27th, fourth from the bottom of baseball. This means that everyone generally agrees that at least three teams are worse than the Friars.

Here’s this week’s update.

ESPN: 27th

ESPN usually takes an objective look at the Padres. And while they rank the club lower than anyone else listed here, they do provide some legitimate positive feedback for San Diego’s recent success.

"Cory Spangenberg has been red-hot for the Padres. He hit .357 with four homers in the past eight games. That’s a good sign for the Padres because Spangenberg is just 26, and he could contribute for them down the road from a number of positions. But San Diego’s big league roster still needs a lot of work, and it would be nice if Wil Myers finally started hitting."

USA Today: 26th

For the rest of baseball, it seems that the Padres consist of first baseman Wil Myers and a whole bunch of nobodies. As fans, we understand that this is far from the case. But many will still blame the team’s rebuilding woes for the struggles of Myers, when in reality, the team would be rebuilding no matter what. Hey, at least USA Today ranked four teams lower than the Padres.

"Wil Myers batting .190 in the second half."

Call to the Pen: 22nd

More from Friars on Base

FanSided’s very own Call to the Pen is the most generous to the club since Bleacher Report ranked them 20th several weeks ago. Steady improvement is the reason for this, which fans can appreciate since they often feel like the only ones who notice.

"Give the Padres credit, looking at their roster at the beginning of the season, they looked destined to rank 30th on these rankings at this time. A 55-69 record won’t gain any attention, but it looks like progress for a team that won just 68 games last season."

Bleacher Report: 24th

San Diego is up three spots in these rankings this week, moving themselves into a more respectable 24th. Though there’s no description provided for these rankings, a week which included a sweep is always a good reason.

Next: Solarte's versatility undervalued

This coming week, the Padres will have six difficult road games against the Cardinals and the Marlins. Moving up on these lists will be difficult as August comes to a close, but certainly a possibility as the Friars have played up to their competition in numerous instances this season.