Padres' long-awaited bullpen arm is becoming a trusted flexible weapon

The Padres' bullpen this season has been a bit of a disappointment. San Diego had one of the best relief staffs in Major League Baseball in 2025, so the expectations going into this year were understandably a bit lofty.

In spite of that, the Friars are still falling below par when it comes to their relievers, excluding Mason Miller, of course. San Diego enters May 7 with a 4.21 collective ERA among relievers, which is ninth-best in the National League. What happened?

Jason Adam has been hurt. Jeremiah Estrada isn't back to his normal self yet. Adrián Morejón is struggling. Robert Suarez is on the Braves.

But, Bradgley Rodriguez has been a saving grace, keeping the Padres' bullpen from completely pit-falling in the middle innings. Ranked as the organization's 14th-best prospect in 2025, Rodriguez has already become a mainstay for the Padres.

Top pitching prospect Bradgley Rodriguez is Padres' latest bullpen star

In 16 games this year, Rodriguez has logged 13 scoreless appearances. In one of the two non-scoreless outings, Rodriguez still recorded a hold — so he still finds a way to add value in games when he struggles. He's our new Jason Adam, essentially.

Rodriguez throws hard, but that is nowhere near his first option. Rodriguez is an elite changeup pitcher, opting for that pitch over 40% percent of the time — and for good reason. He's yet to allow a hit on his changeup this season.

He's thrown that pitch 108 times, and no one has been able to figure it out yet. Because of that, he is among the best in the game barrel percentage and ground ball rate. Any coach would sign up for that kind of pitcher being on their staff.

Now, if we can only get everyone up to speed alongside Adam, Miller, and Rodriguez, this bullpen can find itself among the best in the bigs once again. For now, we'll continue relying on the 22-year-old Rodriguez, even if that's unfair to the youngster.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow