Padres Opening Day: Three bold predictions for the 2021 season

Before Thursday hits, we turn the calendar to April and bask in Padres Opening Day in all its glory, let’s just take a few minutes and have some fun. I mean, the Friars are the most exciting team in baseball so it only makes sense we shake it up and go big in one last preseason piece.

We’re going to dive right in. Three bold predictions for San Diego this year. Bold predictions, hot takes – whatever you want to call them, we’ve got them. Let’s go.

Padres Opening Day: Wil Myers pops 40 home runs this year

That’s right. All aboard, baby. The Wil Myers hype train is leaving the station. Destination: October.

Last season, the Padres outfielder mashed, slashing .288/.353/.606. Keep in mind he’d never even slugged .500 before, let alone .600. The dude was a machine for the Friars, hitting 15 home runs in just 55 games. By comparison, he hit 18 the year prior… in 155 games. Locked in doesn’t even begin to describe what we saw from Myers in the shortened 2020 season.

But 2021 is a different story, right? Doing something for 162 games is a whole lot different than getting hot and staying hot for two months. Wrong. While it might be different, the changes we’ve seen in Myers – accepting his role amid a supporting cast that often outshines him and embracing it with open arms – is why I think he’s about to have the best year of his career.

Calling it. Right now. Forty homers for Myers. Don’t be shocked if he makes his second All-Star team or even flirts with the MVP conversation. Teams come into San Diego worrying about Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Meanwhile, Myers is lying in wait, ready to pounce.

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?