3 reasons fans should still believe in Padres right now

San Diego’s window didn’t slam shut with one bad week. The core still tilts series, the rotation has enough ceiling to steady a month at a time, and the front office has shown it will act rather than admire holes. The scars from recent Octobers are real, but so are the lessons, how to manage leverage innings, where depth must be thicker, and which bats need insulating. That’s not a teardown recipe; it’s the blueprint of a team that keeps knocking until the door swings.

Despite another postseason heartbreak, this time at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres will be in contention for a while longer. Here are three reasons why Padres fans should keep the faith in their team.

3 reasons the Padres are still worth believing in

The three-headed monster will rise again

Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Jackson Merrill are all tremendously talented baseball players. That's a fact. While all three have had their fair share of struggles over the past two years, all three are also entering 2026 with a lot to prove. Merrill needs to prove his rookie year wasn't a fluke. Tatis needs to prove he can be at least close to the player he was pre-suspension. Machado needs to prove he is not slowing down after a rough second half in 2025.

It feels like San Diego is due for a year in which all three of their offensive stars explode for big years. Heck, maybe Bogaerts will have a big year too! Even if they don't all play like MVP candidates, they are all extremely fun players to watch and root for.

The bullpen will still be electric (even without Suarez)

Even losing Robert Suarez and Wandy Peralta (and that's not official, San Diego could definitely target one or both in free agency), the Padres still have an elite bullpen. Mason Miller, Jason Adam, and Adrian Morejon will be one of the best "big three's" in the league, and they'll also have budding talent like David Morgan, Jeremiah Estrada, and Yuki Matsui.

Changes should be coming

The Padres will have to make some changes this offseason, and while there is no guarantee those changes will improve the team, it should at least ignite some energy within the fanbase. For instance, moving off Luis Arraez for a more well-rounded first baseman will help. So will moving on from Jose Iglesias and Martin Maldonado. These are changes the team knows they need to make, and it should help build goodwill among fans, showing they are all-in on building a contender.