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3 things that must happen for the San Diego Padres to win the 2024 World Series
The San Diego Padres have the talent to win a World Series in 2024. Here are three things that must happen for them to achieve this goal.
The offseason brings hope and optimism for baseball fans. Often, three things must happen for their team to be in contention for a postseason berth. For the San Diego Padres, they have a roster filled with impactful players who failed to live up to expectations in 2023.
But the team has the capabilities to dominate opponents and provide the Friar Faithful with a memorable season. The Padres front office cannot short-circuit their attempt to become postseason contenders by trading some of their big-name talent away. They must remember there are no shortcuts to winning.
Today, my mission is to identify three things that must happen for the San Diego Padres to win the 2024 World Series
First, let Mike Shildt manage his way
The Friars hired Mike Shildt as manager for the 2024 season. He understands what it takes to make the postseason. And Shildt may have the voice to lead this star-laden roster to a World Series title.
The new Padres skipper is a baseball lifer. He began his career as a scout with the St. Louis Cardinals before moving into the player development side of the organization. Shildt worked his way through the minor league system before being named interim Cardinals manager in 2018.
Team management removed the interim label the following offseason. All Shildt did during his tenure as Cardinals manager was lead them to three straight playoff appearances before being shown the door.
The Padres front office believes Shildt has a passion for baseball that will resonate well with the players that populate the clubhouse. He recognizes what matters to them, as Shildt understands the sacrifices made on their journey to the majors. He fights for his players even if it means being tossed from a game.
Shildt embraces making those tough managerial decisions each day. He processes everything that takes place on the field. Hopefully, the stored information will be helpful to win a game later in the season.
Still, Shildt knows his 2024 mandate: win the World Series or bust!
Second, Padres must take season series over the Dodgers
It feels like an eternity since the Padres played a meaningful game inside Dodger Stadium. The time and place was Game 2 in the 2022 National League Divisional Series, as the Friars outslugged the Dodgers in a 5-3 victory.
The offense was propelled by Manny Machado’s two-RBI night. It overshadowed the Dodgers three solo home runs off of Yu Darvish. The Padres went on to win the series and head to play the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.
But since then, it has been a one-sided affair for the Dodgers. The instant analysis of the Friars frightful play is unprintable. What is disappointing is how the club looked non-competitive and error-prone in each game. The Padres front office must ask themselves why the Dodgers have such an easy time against them.
Let's not kid ourselves; the Dodgers are not going anywhere in 2024. They will rebound from their divisional series defeat by reloading the roster this offseason. If the Friars are going to win a World Series title, then the rivalry must come back to life.
The growing pains in becoming a postseason contender have to end.
Third, Juan Soto must stay in San Diego
In a nutshell, Juan Soto is the best left-handed hitter in baseball. He hit 35 home runs and knocked in 109 runs last season. Soto batted .275/.410/.519 with 68 extra-base hits. Plus, he led the majors in drawing walks for the third time in his six-year MLB career. All of the above is why the Friar Faithful rejoiced after the Padres acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline. But the clock is ticking on his future in San Diego.
Publicly, the Padres have declared Soto “untouchable” this offseason. New Padres chairman and interim control person Eric Kusenda understands the team’s chances of winning a World Series decrease if they trade away one of their top run producers. But Soto’s pending free agency might become a distraction for this coming season. However, Kusenda is too business-savvy to allow this situation to linger much longer.
There is no reason to criticize the Friars' economical approach with their star outfielder. It is okay to remain status quo and let the season play out. The objective is to win a World Series, and you need talent like Soto to achieve such success.
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