2 Padres players who have redeemed themselves in 2022 and 1 with something to prove still

The San Diego Padres lineup has been extremely unpredictable this season with some players suddenly proving themselves, and others not so much.

The Friars are facing a difficult loss with slugger Manny Machado sidelined due to an ankle injury, which is showing who’s worked to prepare to step up and who hasn’t.

Losing Machado for any period of time would be nerve-wracking when thinking about the Padres keeping pace with the Dodgers in the division, but they could continue their success if these players continue to perform well and tap into their potential.

Here are two players who have redeemed themselves to help provide success this season and one who still has something to prove.

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar

Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar has progressed extremely well over the past few months. San Diego’s outfield, overall, doesn’t produce great numbers in the lineup, but Profar manages to be one of the best hitters among the entire team.

He didn’t start the season well. In April, he was hitting .186/.318/.457. Now, he’s significantly increased his numbers to .268/.358/.439 and is the fourth-best hitter for the Padres.

He’s also scored the second-most runs for the Friars this season, just four behind the most. Nearly half (20) of these runs were scored this month. His accurate eye has contributed to team success and he leads with a 13 percent BB%. He has the highest Friars’ base on balls percentage.

Profar also hits for some power, third overall in isolated power.

Physical strength and ability to consistently distinguish balls from strikes make for a well-rounded hitter, and Profar continues to prove himself in both areas, despite a poor start to the season.

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth

Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth is having an incredible month after a few subpar. In April, he was hitting .215/.344/.367 and in May, his performance got slightly worse.

This month, however, he’s hitting significantly better at .354/.448/.622, which is the best among the entire team in June so far. Cronenworth is the third-best hitter overall this season and has truly stepped up since April.

He seemingly held back early in the season, producing only three home runs total between April and May. He’s always demonstrated good strength through his OPS (.794 career average), but he’s hitting the best this month than he has any other season. He was expected to do well this season anyway, but he’s done much better than anticipated.

He has four home runs in June for seven total, the fourth-most overall for the Padres and tied for the second-most this month. He could be one of the most crucial players in keeping the overall weak lineup afloat.