San Diego Padres: The Hottest Hitting Friars Of September

On the final off day of the season, let’s take a look at some of the hottest San Diego Padres hitters in the month of September

It’s Thursday and the final off day of the regular season for the San Diego Padres. When the Friars return to work tomorrow, they will kick off their final series of 2018, a three-game weekend set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The recent slide of Arizona has left San Diego with nothing to spoil this weekend, however, fans will get one last look at a few special rookies and will get to enjoy one last view of Petco Park before the long winter break begins.

There are endless negative talking points to look at right now but let’s spend a minute acknowledging a few Friars who have ended the 2018 season on a strong note, either at the plate or on the mound.

The big, powerful outfielder and the small, speedy infielder.

Leading the way this month for the Padres has been the Franimal himself, Franmil Reyes. Reyes is the only San Diego hitter with a batting average over .300 in September. He’s currently hitting .338 with a team-leading .391 OBP. A .391 ON-BASE PERCENTAGE!

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Reyes has a strikeout rate of under 20% and is currently walking at an 8% rate while also posting a team-high .866 OPS and 140 wRC+. No player on this current roster has improved as much as Franmil Reyes has over the second-half of the season. Not only is he producing at the plate, in what will end up being one of the top-five worst offensive seasons in Padres team history, but Reyes is also a joy to watch in the dugout. His passion for the game and love for his teammates is evident and he’s not afraid to show his emotion in a league that seems to prefer players hide that.

Joining Reyes on the productive train has been shortstop Freddy Galvis. Will this be the final weekend we see Galvis in a Padres uniform? That will be one of the biggest questions of this offseason, but for now, he’s producing at the plate and continuing to flash the leather.

Galvis is hitting .298 in 90 plate appearances with seven doubles, one triple, and two home runs. His 124 wRC+ is second on the team behind Reyes and his 53% hard-contact rate ranks first among all Padres in September. Whether it’s with the Padres or another MLB franchise, he’s playing for a new contract and doing a fairly good job at it.

San Diego returns to action on Friday night at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm with a ceremony to unveil “Trevor Hoffman Way” happening before the game begins.