Padres’ spring training lineup is a veteran statement right out of the gate

The first Padres spring training lineup isn’t supposed to feel like a statement. It’s usually a blender: a couple stars, a couple guys you forgot existed, and a few minor leaguers wearing fresh numbers. But the Padres didn’t really do that here. They opened camp like a team that’s already tired of hearing “it’s just February.”

Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth — right out of the gate. That’s the spine of a real lineup. And then the Padres layered in the two veteran new faces that matter most for the tone of the spring: Nick Castellanos at first base and Ty France at DH.

Padres waste no time building reps with Nick Castellanos and Ty France front and center

Castellanos and France aren’t here to be cute roster experiments. They’re here because the Padres wanted more professional at-bats. Seeing both of them plugged in right away is the Padres basically saying they’re not waiting until March to see if the fit works. We’re building the muscle memory now.

The lineup does include two depth/prospect-type looks in Luis Campusano and Nick Schnell — which is kind of the point. On a day where those two could’ve been surrounded by other question marks, they’re instead tucked behind household names. Campusano gets to catch a real game pace with a real-looking infield behind him. Schnell gets to take real plate appearances without the lineup feeling like a tryout camp brochure.

On the mound, it’s also a pretty clean contrast: Left-hander Jagger Haynes getting a look for San Diego against Dane Dunning for Seattle. For the Padres, this is the version of early camp that actually matters — prospects getting runway, but inside a game that looks and feels like the majors. 

And Seattle isn’t treating this like a casual opener either. They’re rolling out their own strong group — plus a little prospect spice late, with Michael Arroyo hitting eighth and Colt Emerson ninth. That’s a real lineup with real intent, not a split-squad shrug.

First pitch is 12:10 p.m. PST. It’s still just the opening of spring training. But the Padres are telling you exactly what kind of camp this is going to be: less audition, more rehearsal.