What San Diego Padres lineup could look like in 2021, 2022

The lineup

The offense should be really fun to watch for the foreseeable future, and that’s not something we’ve been able to say about a San Diego team in quite some time.

Here is what the lineup could look like in 2021:

Taylor Trammell – CF

Tommy Pham – LF

Fernando Tatis Jr. – SS

Manny Machado – 3B

Eric Hosmer – 1B

Jake Cronenworth – 2B

Trent Grisham – RF

Frarncisco Mejia – C

What we know for sure about the 2021 lineup right now is that Pham, Tatis, and Machado will be at the top of the order.

I’m thinking optimistically on Trammell here — someone who I’ve notably been down on as a prospect. But I’m hoping he has a bounce-back year in 2020 at Double-A and proves he’s ready to make the jump in 2021.

For better or worse, Hosmer is our first baseman for the foreseeable future. I think A.J. Preller will see if he can move his contract next offseason, but it’s not likely to happen until after the 2021 season when he’ll still have four years left, but his AAV goes down to $13 from 2023-20205.

I debated between Owen Miller and Cronenworth at second base, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about Cronenworth this offseason and am starting to become a big believer of his.

Here is what the 2022 lineup could look like:

CJ Abrams – CF

Gabriel Arias – 2B

Fernando Tatis Jr. – SS

Manny Machado – 3B

Eric Hosmer – 1B

Trent Grisham – RF

Luis Campusano – C

Taylor Trammell – LF

That top three in the lineup has the potential to be dynamic. I’m really banking high on Abrams and Arias remaining elite hitters as they progress.

Those top three could all be 20-20 guys one day. To me, this is the lineup I dream to see one day.

The rotation

I feel pretty good about the future of the lineup, but it’s the future of the starting rotation that could put this team over the top.

Injuries are a big part of being a pitcher and you can never predict when an injury may come, but we’re going to think optimistically here.

Here is what the 2021 starting rotation could look like:

MacKenzie Gore

Chris Paddack

Luis Patino

Dinelson Lamet

Joey Lucchesi

Those top three seem like a pretty safe bet and should be the top three in the starting rotation for years to come.

This season will be a big one for Lamet and will tell us a lot about his future.

Gore is one of the best prospects in all of baseball and we’re all certainly expecting him to become the ace of this staff.

We could see Gore make his debut in 2020, but it’s probably 2021 when he asserts himself as the team’s ace.

I don’t think we see Patino until September of 2020 or to start the 2021 season.

And really, you could give that fifth spot to just about anyone, but I think 2020 is going to be a big year for Lucchesi — if he doesn’t get trade to Boston for Mookie Betts.

Here is what the 2022 rotation could look like:

MacKenzie Gore

Chris Paddack

Luis Patino

Dinelson Lamet

Ryan Weathers

Really not much change here, but I think this could be the year we see Ryan Weathers reach his potential and become a constant figure in the rotation.

Adrian Morejon, Anderson Espinoza, Cal Quantrill, and a host of other prospects I’m sure I’m forgetting could all figure into the back of the rotation.

But I feel pretty confident those top three or four will be in the rotation for years to come.

Final thoughts

Again, I think 2020 will be a very fun and exciting year, but don’t forget that the rebuild is not complete and probably won’t be until 2022 when the last wave of prospects finally assert themselves at the Major League level.

It will be interesting to see how Tatis, Abrams, and Arias are positioned in the future. I think those three are the building blocks for the rebuild in the lineup.

It’s unclear which one is the better fit at shortstop, but if they all continue to hit they’ll find a way to fit them all in the lineup.

That 2022 lineup has me really excited for the future and just how dynamic the offense could be with power and speed.

The only spot in the lineup I’m not sure of are the corner outfield spots and first base. I’m thinking optimistically about Grisham, but there is a very real possibility he doesn’t develop into an every day player.

I think there still could be some retooling of the outfield going forward, and maybe we see some prospects moved to the outfield. But overall, that lineup should be a really fun one to watch.

And I think we all know how exciting the starting rotation can be once Gore and Patino get called up, which we could see as soon as this upcoming 2020 season.

I think we see the Padres maybe bring in a veteran in those seasons on one-year deals, much like the Atlanta Braves did with Cole Hamels this offseason to stabilize their young rotation.

But all of those arms have top of the rotation potential.

It’s really fun to look at what could be for the future of the Padres. Let me know what your future lineup and rotation looks like in the comments below.