Padres need lineup upgrades if they want to keep pace with Dodgers

The San Diego Padres have been trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings all season, but not by much.

Despite having a great record and strong roster this season, the Padres don’t have enough in the tank to overtake the Dodgers offensively. They need a much stronger lineup to compare.

It’s no surprise that the lineup is holding the Padres back, as Fernando Tatis Jr. has been on the Injured List since the season began and won’t return until late June, at the earliest. Manny Machado has been a powerhouse, leading MLB in hits and the National League in batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, and total bases, but beyond him, the Padres just don’t have enough to match up with the Dodgers’ stacked offense.

The Padres need a stronger offensive lineup to beat out the Dodgers

Even with Machado’s production, the Padres rank below average in most offensive metrics, while the Dodgers are among the league’s top offenses. They lead MLB in runs, RBI, on-base percentage, OPS, and walks. They also have the second-best slugging percentage and eighth-most home runs.

The Padres lineup is significantly weaker, which is to be expected without Tatis. They rank 11th in runs and RBI, 25th in home runs, 20th in batting average, 21st in OPS, 12th in on-base percentage, and 23rd in slugging. They are significantly below league average in most offensive stats. Not only is it astounding that they’re winning so many games with these numbers, but it seems impossible that they could overtake the Dodgers.

They’re getting by with what they have (mainly Machado), but the Padres need more power if they want to build on their success. Even with a healthy Tatis Jr. in consideration, there’s not enough consistent strength in the lineup to provide sustainable results.

Manager Bob Melvin is well aware of what the Padres are missing: power. He just needs the front office to go out and get him some.

Rumors suggest Padres may add star players to their lineup at trade deadline

While a rumor recently floated around that the Padres would be interested in trading for Juan Soto, it’s highly unlikely and unrealistic. Even if the Washington Nationals decided to move the young star, there’s no guarantee the Padres beat out the competition to land him.

Soto or otherwise, the Padres need more power in their lineup, as soon as possible.