Padres News: Yu Darvish calls the Dodgers the best team in the world

File this one under ‘things San Diego Padres fans won’t like to hear’. Yu Darvish, who turned in seven innings of one-run ball against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in Saturday’s loss, had nothing but praise for his former team after the game.

Now there are some of you out there who won’t like Darvish saying this. But it’s the truth. Coming off a World Series championship and owners of baseball’s best record entering Sunday at 13-2, the hard truth is just that: Los Angeles is the best team in the game – and it’s not close right now.

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After an offseason where the Padres made move after move – capped by the mega-extension for Fernando Tatis Jr. – a lot of Friar Faithful wanted to drop the label of ‘best team in the game’ on the team. And while, on paper, they’re certainly one of the better clubs in the league, they haven’t backed it up on the field yet.

Padres have a ways to go to match the Dodgers

The Dodgers, as we saw on both Friday and Saturday, have not only talked the talk, but walked the walk – and look poised to make a serious run at defending their crown come October.

But the good news for the Padres is we’re literally just two weeks into the 2021 season. We’ve got months upon months of baseball left to play this year – and San Diego clearly hasn’t hit its stride yet. Tatis Jr. has missed most of the season due to injury and the offense definitely hasn’t clicked just yet.

Darvish has anchored the rotation, pitching like the ace AJ Preller envisioned when he traded for the right-hander this winter. Blake Snell is looking to get back on track after one of the worst starts of his career last week.

What I’m trying to say is this: the pieces are all in place. Now, it’s just a matter of picking up some momentum and turning the swaggy energy the nation loved from the team last fall into some serious runs here.

Until then, though, Darvish is right: the Dodgers are the best team in baseball.