3 Padres in the thick of awards races (and 1 deserves a big contract extension)

As the Padres head into their final couple of games in May, they stand at 31-23. That is good enough for second in the National League West - only two games behind the billion-dollar Dodgers. They benefited from a hot start, and have maintained a steady pace since then.

Their record has largely been the product of a deep bullpen and offense, as well as a rotation that has performed well above expectations. Leading the charge, though, are three catalysts for the Friars. These three have been amongst the best player in their role not just in San Diego, but across the entire league. The dog days of summer are where real awards candidates separate themselves from those just having hot starts, and these three are leading the charge in Southern California.

Robert Suarez

The Padres' bullpen has been one of the best in the majors, even with some shaky performances as of late. In 24 games, Robert Suarez has earned an MLB best 17 saves. If we remove one performance against the Angels where he could not buy a strike and allowed five runs, the 2.35 ERA he holds in 2025 drops to 0.40. Needless to say, the 34-year-old has been amongst the best relievers in baseball.

Suarez has to be on any shortlist of candidates to win the Trevor Hoffman Award, given to the best reliever in the National League. The further removed he gets from that disastrous outing against the Angels, the lower his ERA drops. If he can finish the 2025 season with a sub-2.00 ERA, he'll find himself with a great chance at winning the award. If he can maintain the current pace he's held with saves, he'll finish with 51 on the season. That would tie him with Mark Melancon (2016) and Juerys Familia (2015) for the most saves by a National League pitcher since Eric Gagne's outrageous 2003 season.

Of all the awards races the Padres' players may find themselves in, Saurez may be the best bet to bring some hardward home at the end of the 2025 season.

Fernando Tatis Jr. once again finds himself as a top MVP candidate

Ferando Tatis Jr. - simply put - spent the first three years of his MLB career as a superstar. He was flashy, he was the definition of a slugger (highlighted by leage-best 42 home runs in 2021), and was a fantastic shortstop. Outside of Shohei Ohtani (more on him in a second), Tatis Jr. was one of the faces of the MLB and had worldwide appeal to fans.

Then came the PED suspension, followed immediately by injuries, and a position change right after that. Tatis Jr. was still a good ballplayer, but had fallen back in the eyes of fans and analysts both, especially with his long trip on the IL in the middle of last season.

2025 has seen the return of Tatis Jr. He is third in the National League in WAR, only behind Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ohtani. While Ohtani is the likely favorite - especially once he gets back on the mound - Tatis Jr. is very much in the race.

In his career, June is the month that Tatis Jr. typically ascends into one of the best hitters in the MLB. In 93 career games during June, Tatis Jr. has slashed .338/.417/.651, with a tOPS+ of 142. With the Padres on two games behind the Dodgers, a winning streak would go a long way in boosting Tatis Jr.'s chances at MVP.

The Padres need a storybook season, and Tatis has given everything the team needs thus far. And if his career-norms mean a big month of June, we could see the Padres' superstar shoot up not just the the MVP ballots, but also return Tatis Jr. into the hearts of the baseball fans across the globe once again.

Michael King is a Cy Young favorite... and candidate to join the $200 million club

When Yu Darvish was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation during Spring Training, all eyes went to Michael King. While King was placed on the injured list recently, he is still one of the clear-cut favorites for the National League Cy Young Award this season. In his ten starts, King has posted a 2.59 ERA. He has walked just 17 batters while striking out 64 batters in those starts, as his strikeout-to-walk ratio has always been one of the most elite stats on his resume.

As it stands now, King is on pace for four straight years of a sub-3.00 ERA. While the first half of those came as a reliever/spot starter for the Yankees, his transition to starter has been absolutely seamless. And despite his current IL stint, he was able to start 31 games last season, which is essentially an iron man for a pitcher in today's MLB.

In the current NL Cy Young race, one would have to give the nod to Paul Skenes, as well as Jesus Luzardo and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. It is a crowded field, but if King can return from his injury as quick as expected, there is a legitimate chance for him to work his way into the forefront of the MVP discussions.

The more interesting tidbit with King is his upcoming free agency. The Padres and King have a mutual option for 2026, but it is fair to assume King will not be opting into that. Outside of them agreeing on a deal for 2025 to avoid arbitration, King and the Padres seemingly have not been in talks. And with his status as an elite starter becoming more and more certain with every start, the Padres are going to have to spend a lot more to keep King in San Diego.

Only nine pitchers in MLB history have landed a $200 million contract (10 with Ohtani). And while it seems like a stretch for a 30-year old with only 1.5 seasons of starting pitching to join that exclusive club, King is a very real candidate to do so. There is no bigger advantage in baseball than an elite starting pitcher, and MLB teams have shown to value that tremendously in recent free agencies. Of those 10 names mentioned above, six have come since 2020.

And if Michael King returns and pitches as exceptionally as he has since joining the Padres, there may be some hardware on his shelf as he enters free agency as well.