Padres: Ranking the team’s three likeliest MVP candidates

As a whole, the San Diego Padres look like one of the best teams in all of baseball. Eyeing their first-ever World Series championship, it’ll take some standout individual performances along the way to get the job done.

With that being said, the Padres certainly aren’t lacking in impact players. They’re loaded with potential All-Stars, Cy Young candidates and, yes, even a few guys capable of bringing home the National League MVP at season’s end.

3) Don’t sleep on what Yu Darvish could bring to the Padres pitching staff

For the last year-and-a-half, Yu Darvish has been one of the best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball. After battling through a rough start to his Cubs career, the right-hander dialed in and became downright overpowering on the mound.

Last season, he put it all together in a big way during the pandemic-shortened 60-game schedule and wound up finishing runner-up in the NL Cy Young race. Darvish won a league-best eight games, led all MLB starters with a 2.23 FIP and posted a 2.01 ERA in a dozen starts.

Capable of blowing it past opposing hitters and buckling their knees with an overwhelming 11-pitch arsenal, Darvish showed that he’s still got plenty in the tank in 2020. If he can replicate what he distributed last year over the course of a full 162 game slate this time around, we could be looking at not only a Cy Young front runner but a threat to be the first pitcher to win the MVP since Clayton Kershaw back in 2014.

1) – Padres have an anchor at the hot corner in Manny Machado

Look. It felt really wrong not picking El Niño as the likeliest Padres player to win the MVP this season. But at the same time, it felt so right giving that honor to third baseman Manny Machado.

At just 27 years of age, Machado is still in his prime – and likely will remain there for some time. San Diego knew that when they inked him to his massive contract extension a few years back. After a pretty so-so debut campaign for the Friars, the four-time All-Star was an MVP finalist in 2020.

Last season, the former first-rounder turned in a career-best .304/.370/.580 line – which netted him his first career Silver Slugger. He hit 16 home runs, 12 doubles and a triple in just 60 games – so in other words, just about 43 percent of his hits went for extra bases.

A three-time Gold Glover, Machado is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game. Unfortunately, since coming to the National League, he’s been overshadowed by the recently-traded Nolan Arenado at the hot corner. But he’s still a treat to watch with the leather.

It’s totally conceivable that Tatis Jr. and Machado are both finalists for the MVP this year. I mean, they came close to accomplishing that last season, when Machado finished third and Tatis Jr., fourth. This year, I think they both put it all together – and Machado brings home the first MVP of his decorated career.