San Diego Padres: Eric Hosmer Has Been on a Validating Tear

The San Diego Padres’ front office can all let out a collective sigh. Their big-time free-agent signing isn’t just starting to show signs of life, he’s been absolutely raking.

There’s been a lot said about the San Diego Padres signing Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144 million deal just before the start of Spring Training.

Most have praised the Friars for inking such a talented player at below market value. Others haven’t been as kind in their assessment of the signing.

Their complaints grew even louder after he was his average dip down to .241 on April 22. What lit their fires even more so was his measly .323 on-base percentage at the time. He was clearly mired in a nasty slump.

Selective memory apparently pushed his 4-for-5 game just five days earlier against the Dodgers out of mind. Because there were plenty of folks jumping on the “Hosmer Was a Bad Signing” bandwagon by the end of that week.

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San Diego Padres need Eric Hosmer to lead this team

In the time since the Friars’ thirteen-run outburst against the Rockies on April 23, Hosmer has gone 13-for-26.

By my math, that equates to a .500 batting average, plus he’s had four doubles, a triple, a home run, and four runs batted in.

He’s only racked up four strikeouts over that time compared to the eight walks he’s drawn.

His on-base percentage over his last seven games is a mind-blowing .618. Though, what’s even more impressive is his 1.464 OPS.

If Hosmer, 28, can kick himself into gear and continue this awesome run he’s been on at the plate, it would bode very well for the chances of rattling off five or six wins in a row and cutting that huge D-Backs lead down a bit.

The catalytic parts that the Friars need to be consistently working in order for their engine to put out power are starting to find their rhythm. Hosmer finding his stroke could only be good news for the San Diego Padres.

Hosmer’s season stats are getting back to respectability

Hosmer already has his season slashes up to .303/.402/.906, though he’s got just three home runs and eight RBI.

His eleven doubles are tied for second in the league with Howie Kendrick of the Nationals and one behind Ozzie Albies and Freddy Freeman of the first-place Braves.

He’s currently third in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage among qualified first basemen, with Freeman and Brandon Belt of the Giants leading the way in all three categories.

While his current stats do indicate a slight dip from his outstanding 2017 season, power-wise at least, he’s got plenty of time to even that side of his game out after his drought-littered first month of the year.

Once Wil Myers returns and starts hitting, he’ll hopefully join a still-raking Hosmer, the rookie sensation Franchy Cordero, a still hanging around Jose Pirela, and a slowly-coming-out-of-it Freddy Galvis, there’s telling what could transpire.

Next: How Launch Angle is Taking Over Baseball

I’m not saying that they’ll go from worst to first, but I will not waver away from what I said earlier this spring; the San Diego Padres can most-indeed be a competitive team if all of the working pieces are functioning correctly.