Padres fans vindicated as Ryan O’Hearn delivers clutch late homer

The San Diego Padres faithful have been begging for it: more Ryan O’Hearn. After weeks of watching him shuffled in and out of the lineup like an afterthought, Padres fans finally got the “we told you so” moment they’d been waiting for. And it came in dramatic, late-inning fashion.

O’Hearn, acquired at the deadline alongside Ramon Laureano, hasn’t exactly been treated like a centerpiece since joining San Diego. His playing time has been sporadic, his at-bats scattered. But when he’s been in the starting lineup, he’s produced. And the fans, who have noticed every bit of it, have grown increasingly vocal about wanting to see him on the field more often.

Ryan O’Hearn proves Padres fans right with clutch late homer

The debate came to a head on August 18, before the opener of a four-game set against the Giants. When asked why O’Hearn wasn’t in the lineup against lefty Robbie Ray, despite strong numbers in left-on-left matchups, manager Mike Shildt’s retort to a reporter was sharp: “Where would you have started him?”

That answer only poured gasoline on the fire. Padres fans, who are usually quick to defend Luis Arraez no matter what, flipped the script this time. For once, the argument wasn’t about sentiment, it was about production. And the numbers didn’t lie.

2025 vs LHP:

• Arraez: .263/.288/.349, 79 wRC+
• O’Hearn: .267/.362/.450, 130 wRC+

When the math is that obvious, fans weren’t just chirping, they were correct. O’Hearn had been the better option at first base, and Shildt’s choice to ride with Arraez left many scratching their heads.

Then came the bottom of the seventh. O’Hearn is in as a late sub. And almost on cue, with Ray still on the hill, O’Hearn launched a two-run homer that brought Petco Park to life and left Shildt with some explaining to do.

It was a moment of vindication, a fanbase’s frustrations crystallized into a single swing of the bat. Padres social media lit up, fans roared “told you so,” and suddenly O’Hearn wasn’t just a role player anymore. He was the guy who proved the fans right and the manager wrong in the same breath.

Now the question is no longer, “Where would you have started him?” The question is, “How could you not?”

As the Padres grind toward an NL West crown, every lineup decision matters. If O’Hearn continues to deliver when called upon, Shildt may have no choice but to pencil his name in more often. If not, the noise from the fans could grow deafening — because once you’ve been vindicated, you don’t go back quietly.

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