Final day of MLB season officially confirmed Padres stole Mets' secret ingredient

The final day of the 2025 regular season was a rollercoaster. Divisional winners were still not confirmed coming into Sunday, and even a Wild Card spot was still up for grabs in the National League.

One of those teams hopeful of a postseason berth was the New York Mets. New York wound up losing, thus eliminating them from contention. While the main focus is on their second-half collapse, Padres fans can't help but wonder about one other thing: Did the Friars steal the Mets' secret weapon?

Last year, Jose Iglesias took the sport by storm in more ways than one. He batted .337 for the Mets in 2024, which included a red-hot September, when he hit .371. All of this, mixed with his OMG! movement, led to New York making the postseason - and even gave the Dodgers some trouble in the NLCS.

This year, Iglesias signed with the Padres, who are headed to the playoffs for a fourth time in six years, while the Mets' 2025 campaign is over. Iglesias, who was signed to a minor league contract this past offseason, wound up making the Opening Day roster for the Padres and appearing in 112 total games. Did he have a follow-up season from last year when he was a .337 hitter? Absolutely not, and the Friars even considered trading him at one point.

But luckily, San Diego held on to the 35-year-old, who provided a little bit of magic in late September. In his final seven games of the regular season, Iglesias went 7-for-24 (.292) with two of his three total home runs in 2025. He also scored three times, powering one double to end the season.

Though his offensive numbers weren't as good in 2025, Iglesias is a fan favorite wherever he goes. That energy is infectious, especially with a team that already draws a consistent crowd. One other major plus from Iglesias this year was his defensive versatility. He played second base (39 games), shortstop (32), third base (23), and even left field for a game. As the Padres enter the postseason, having that flexibility on defense will be huge from Iglesias if the team finds themselves in a situation where they need to hold it down in the field.

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