Padres Opening Day: Three bold predictions for the 2021 season

Padres Opening Day: Mark Melancon flirts with Trevor Hoffman’s saves record

Only one San Diego Padres reliever has ever surpassed 50 saves in a season. It’s not like I have to tell you who that individual is. After all, he’s one of the greatest closers in baseball history.

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Back in 1998, Trevor Hoffman and the Padres ran roughshod through the Senior Circuit en route to the Fall Classic. The right-hander notched 53 saves on the year, making 66 appearances and working to a career-best 1.48 ERA. His efforts netted him a runner-up finish in NL Cy Young voting that year – although he and the Friars fell short of that World Series title.

This year, due largely in part to the people around him, I think Mark Melancon will make a run at Hoffman’s record. I know Jayce Tingler hasn’t named a closer. But when I look at the likes of Drew Pomeranz, Keone Kela, Emilio Pagan and Melancon, I see the first three being far more flexible than the latter.

Insert Melancon in the ninth (at least for the sake of this piece). With an offense poised to be one of the best in all of baseball and a starting rotation that, at least on paper, is capable of going toe-to-toe with any offense in baseball on any given night, he’s going to get plenty of save opportunities.

At that point, it’s up to the veteran right-hander, who has, it’s worth mentioning, eclipsed 50 saves in his career. Back in 2015 with Pittsburgh, Melancon notched 51 saves and followed it up with 47 a year later.

Padres Opening Day: Fernando Tatis Jr. turns in a season for the ages

Manny Machado might win MVP. Blake Snell and Yu Darvish are legit Cy Young contenders. But this Padres team belongs to Fernando Tatis Jr.

This isn’t up for debate. How do I know this? Look at the jerseys in the stands or on the streets. Look at the reaction to his extension earlier this offseason that locks him up for the better part of his entire career. He’s just getting his feet wet in Major League Baseball and the guy is already the most talked about player in the game.

So what will El Niño do for an encore after finishing fourth in NL MVP voting last summer? He’s going all-out, all the time. Put him down for a monster 35-35 season in 2021. The home runs will come. After all, he popped 17 in last year’s shortened slate of games. But if Tingler unleashes him and lets him use his speed and athleticism, this is a guy who can realistically steal 35 bags.

Hey – I warned you. Only way I’m heading into this season is all-in. I expect big things from this Padres team and if you can’t buy into the hype the night before Opening Day, just when can you?