Padres: Three spring surprises so far in Cactus League play

Every spring, all 30 MLB teams experience their share of surprises – both pleasant and otherwise. This year’s loaded San Diego Padres are no exception, either.

With a roster that’s largely set after a busy offseason, San Diego has received several surprises early on in Cactus League play, but perhaps none larger than infielder Gosuke Katoh. The former third-round pick of the Yankees has turned heads at every turn, slashing a ridiculous .462/.500/.769 in nine contests.

“I’ve noticed his hand-eye (coordination) and his at-bats on the back fields,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said earlier this week. “Sliding him over here into games, he’s played extremely well. Loved the at-bats. Love how he stays inside the zone. He’s been super impressive so far.

It’s hard to see where Katoh could fit in the Padres’ plans given their bulk of multi-positional guys on the roster, including offseason signing Ha-Seong Kim, Jurickson Profar and Jake Cronenworth. But his incredible approach at the dish and solid play has turned plenty of heads. Now, it’s a matter of whether or not he can maintain over the final weeks of spring training.

Padres are loving what they’re getting from their starting pitchers

Now, I’m sure most of you don’t consider the dominance by San Diego’s starting rotation to be a surprise. But after an offseason that wrapped up with Friar Faithful envisioning confetti raining down this fall, a slow start or seeing guys adjusting to their new surroundings could have sent fans into a tailspin.

Instead, guys like Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove – along with right-hander Chris Paddack – have been lights-out, carving up opposing lineups on a daily basis. Darvish was dealing in his first start of the spring, Snell is looking sharp and, of all these guys, I think Paddack is the biggest story so far.

Combined, none of them have allowed a run yet. That won’t continue for three more weeks, but, man, it’s sure nice to enjoy in the meantime.

In a pair of Cactus League appearances, Paddack has tossed four scoreless frames in which he’s punched out a batter an inning. Given the questions surrounding his role and what exactly he’d look like coming into 2021, this has definitely been a welcome sight for all involved.

The only projected starter who hasn’t pitched in a game yet is Dinelson Lamet. But the news on that front is promising, as well, as the right-hander continues to check boxes on his road back to the mound. He’s experienced no setbacks and has the potential to be a big difference-maker this season for San Diego.