2023 San Diego Padres midseason report cards with letter grades: Pitchers

Josh Hader

Hader's 21 saves really makes you think, "Wow, how much closer to the Rockies would San Diego be if they didn't have a good closer?" The former Brewers star is in the top 10 in saves in the league and is on pace to have the best season of his career. Along with the saves, Hader also boasts a 1.08 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .133 average. Hader's ERA in June and thus far in July is big fat zero over 12 appearances. His April ERA was 0.69 and has not given up an earned run since May 31. Hader does have three blown saves, which all came in May where his ERA of 2.89 is astronomical compared to the rest of his season. Hader has been great as a the closer and for Padres fans hopefully he stays past the one-year deal he signed. The only real negative on Hader's season is that he's well on pace to give up the most walks in a season of his career. GRADE: A-

Nick Martinez

Martinez has been an all-around utility pitcher for San Diego in his second season with the team. Martinez started the season as part of the rotation and he was the Opening Day starter, turning in a serviceable seven-inning, four-earned run, five-strikeout performance in a loss to the Rockies. After a few bumps in the road after Opening Day, he turned in a nice performance against the Braves, earning his first win by going seven shutout innings. His overall record is 4-3 with a 3.90 ERA, a save and 11 holds along with four blown saves. Even though he had five holds in June, the ERA for Martinez was a whopping 8.10. Unflatteringly, Martinez has given up eight home runs on the season, four of them in relief so he's a bit susceptible to giving up the long ball. GRADE: B-

Steven Wilson

Wilson is currently on the IL with a pectoral strain and it's possible the workload of the young pitcher is why. Wilson has appeared in 35 games for San Diego and leads the team in holds with 16. The second-year reliever has a 2.43 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 2.5 K/BB ratio. Wilson didn't give up an earned run in May and only had one appearance in June where he gave up runs (two to Seattle on June 6). Wilson struggled a bit in April, allowing seven runs in back-to-back appearances over 1.1 innings but that's the only true blip on his seasonal radar before the All-Star break. Wilson threw a live session Tuesday and was reinstated for before Friday's game. GRADE: B+

Editor's Note: Want to see our grades for the Padres position players so far this season? Check out all of the grades here.