Padres’ emotional Randy Jones tribute has a powerful detail fans will spot all season

The Padres don’t always nail the “big picture” stuff. We can argue about roster direction, payroll mood swings, and whether A.J. Preller is saving his last bullet for a deadline that’s months away. But when it comes to honoring their own — really honoring them, in a way that feels personal to San Diego — this franchise tends to get it right.

For the entire 2026 season, the Padres will wear a special #35 patch on their sleeves to honor the late franchise legend Randy Jones. It’s not a quick social post and a moment of silence before first pitch. It’s a season-long reminder stitched into the routine of every game, announced during Jones’ celebration of life at Petco Park.

Padres’ moving Randy Jones gesture adds a subtle Petco reminder that hits hard

The font will be the detail that really lands with the fans. The patch uses the same number style from 1976, the season Jones became the first Padres Cy Young winner and put a young franchise on the national map. Baseball is a sport built on tiny details, and this is one of those details that carries real weight without needing a speech attached to it.

It’ll show up on the sleeve of home, away, and Sunday military uniforms, meaning there’s no version of the 2026 Padres that won’t be connected to Jones. And honestly, the Padres need more of that energy right now: stuff that grounds the franchise in something bigger than the daily noise. Randy Jones wasn’t just a great left-hander who won 22 games in ’76. He was a community figure, a familiar face, a reminder that San Diego baseball is supposed to feel human.

If the 2026 season ends up being chaotic — and with this team, it usually is — at least one thing will be steady: the Padres will be carrying a piece of their best history on their sleeve, every single night.