Padres’ New Year’s resolutions reveal a theme fans know all too well

San Diego Padres fans don’t need a calendar flip to know what this team’s “New Year’s resolutions” would be. You’ve seen the pattern. Every winter it’s some version of: the ceiling is obvious, the roster is talented, and yet the same handful of little things keep showing up like an uninvited guest.

That’s the theme fans know all too well, the Padres don’t usually lose because they lack stars. They lose because they make the season harder than it needs to be.

Padres’ New Year’s resolutions start with fixing what always shows up

The first part of the problem is the offense. The fact that the Padres finished close to last in home runs in 2025 is a statistic that will make you do a double take as it seems that on paper, this should not be an offense without some pop. This doesn't mean "buy more power." Instead it means, use what you have. Allow Tatis to be the threat that he can be; allow the line-up to create damage rather than relying on soft contact and "we'll string something together" type of rallies.

It would also be great if they could improve their strike zone discipline — not in a dry, preachy way, but in the very real "do not bail pitchers out" way. The Padres have had far too many games where the opposing starting pitcher was struggling... and then got bailed out by three fast outs on pitches no one needed to swing at.

A bounce-back or two also wouldn’t hurt, and Padres fans also are aware of itl: there’s always a player (or three) the team needs to stabilize. Jackson Merrill is the obvious headliner here after an injury-riddled sophomore year. The hope is simple, that he looks more like the 2024 version of himself, and less like a guy trying to fight through a season that never really let him get comfortable.

Then there’s pitching, which is where the Padres usually turn into their best selves, mostly because Ruben Niebla has made a career out of taking an “interesting arm” and turning it into “why is this guy suddenly nasty?” That should be the resolution: keep developing from within and keep finding the next undervalued pitcher who becomes this year’s surprise backbone. The Padres have the lab, the infrastructure, and the track record. Use it like it’s a competitive advantage, not a cool brochure.

Health and coverage matter too. Getting Joe Musgrove back on track is huge, and navigating a season without Yu Darvish means the Padres can’t treat rotation depth like a “nice to have.” This team has played the “we’ll patch it later” game before. It’s stressful. It’s messy. And it's rarely how you win the games that matter most.

If we’re being completely honest, the most Padres resolution of all is organizational: a little less noise, a little more clarity. Whether it’s long-term direction, stability above the roster, or just fewer winters that feel like a constant state of uncertainty — contenders don’t benefit from living in limbo.

None of this is flashy, and that’s kind of the point. The Padres don’t need a brand-new personality in 2026. They just need to finally commit to the boring, repeatable habits that make talented teams play like, you know… talented teams.