
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola
Padres catcher Austin Nola has had much stronger seasons than he’s currently having. He’s never been the strongest hitter with the Padres, but last season he hit fairly well at .272/.340/.376 for an OPS of .716.
This season, he’s started significantly weaker. He had his weakest month this season in April hitting .200/.282/.267 and has gotten slightly stronger over May and June. He’s on a good track toward doing well, but he must maintain his performance.
Despite improving numbers now, he still hasn’t done enough to stand out as a strong offensive player. He’s not hitting with nearly as much power as he has been the past three seasons.
He has more potential than he’s shown so far this season and could undoubtedly be a key to the team’s success without Machado if he can step up and play his best.