3 things that need to happen for San Diego Padres in 2020

We take a look at three things that need to happen for the San Diego Padres in 2020 in order for this upcoming season to be a success.

Happy New Year! After a miserable decade and 2019, we are ready to move on to 2020 and a new era of San Diego Padres baseball.

At Friars on Base we want to wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for your support of this site as we enter 2020. Our hope is to bring you great coverage of your favorite team with news and opinionated articles throughout the year.

But in order for this to be a successful year for the Padres, there are three things that need to happen.

1. Be in a playoff hunt in September: For me, this team doesn’t have to make the postseason in 2020 for it to be considered a success. They don’t even have to finish with a winning record, in my opinion. But they do need to be fighting for a playoff spot when the calendar flips to November.

If we go into November no  more than five games back of the second NL Wild Card spot, I’ll be satisfied. Give us something to root for at the end of the season, please.

2. Full season of Fernando Tatis Jr.: This one is out of the team’s control, but as a baseball fan I need to see a full, healthy season of Fernando Tatis Jr. He’s one of the most exciting players to watch in the game, and I need to see what he can do over the course of a full season. And I believe if that happens we’ll see San Diego take care of need number one as well.

3. Get a positive year from Eric Hosmer: The San Diego Padres own Eric Hosmer for six more years and $102 million. In his first two years in San Diego he ranks 19th among first baseman with a WAR of -0.5, according to FanGraphs. We need him to give us a positive year at first base if the Padres are going to reach their goals.

Some other things I wouldn’t mind seeing happen but don’t necessarily need to happen are Wil Myers getting traded, MacKenzie Gore showing he’s the future ace, and the outfield taking shape.

But the biggest thing is just seeing this team be competitive throughout the season. We aren’t sure what type of manager Jayce Tingler is going to be, but I certainly hope he can keep this young team focused and productive throughout the year.

The team seemed to quit on Andy Green in the second half last year — Tingler can’t let that happen if things start to go South.

What do you need to see from the Padres in 2020 in order for it be considered a successful season for you? Let us know in the comments below.