Padres’ complete All-Star finalist snub shows how far their offense has fallen

On the bright side, the San Diego Padres are no longer completely dead at the plate. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his third home run of the season. Manny Machado had two clutch game-winning hits in the series against the Atlanta Braves. Gavin Sheets has been one of the better surprises on the roster. And Samad Taylor has brought real spark since getting his chance.

So no, not every Padres batter is useless right now. It just took a while to even get to this point. 

The latest MLB All-Star ballot update still said something pretty obvious about this team, and there’s no reason to dress it up. The Padres do not have a single finalist on the ballot. Can you imagine being a superstar and playing so poorly that your stardom can’t even get you enough fan votes to be competitive?

It’s a pretty ugly place to be for a franchise that’s built around selling start power. 

Padres’ All-Star ballot absence says everything about their fading offensive identity

The All-Star ballot is not a perfect measurement of team quality. Big markets matter and their fan bases stuff the box. Reputation can also carry players who are not having the best season. 

But that excuse only goes so far. If the Padres had one obvious offensive force, he would be somewhere in the conversation. 

The Padres have recognizable names, but not enough undeniable production. They have players who can still give them moments, but not enough players forcing the rest of baseball to pay attention. And that’s how quickly you can become forgettable. 

Still, the All-Star ballot isn’t everything. But it can, at times, be a measuring stick for how strong the first half of a team’s season has been. The Padres have been carried by pitching, specifically their bullpen, which for the second season in a row may have plenty of All-Star representation.

You can bet Mason Miller will be included. Perhaps Wandy Peralta, Yuki Matsui, and even Bradgley Rodríguez, who’s posted a 2.10 ERA over 31 games, could be deserving of the honor. But would any of that come as a surprise? Maybe not as much as saying not a single Padres position player was even going to be a finalist on the ballot.

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