4 Padres players' struggles that have been unexpected to start 2024 season

The San Diego Padres have been better than some experts and pundits expected, but at the same time, the team is hovering around .500 and has shown some inconsistencies during the early going of the 2024 season.

The Padres roster underwent a lot of changes during the offseason, but AJ Preller pulled off the blockbuster trade for Dylan Cease shortly before Opening Day and helped put the Friars in contention to be a factor in the chase for the NL West title.

While both Cease and rookie Jackson Merrill have been tremendous to begin their Padre careers, other players on the roster, who are typically quite dependable, have faltered. These four Padres players have gotten off to rather inauspicious starts in 2024, and the Friar faithful are hopeful to see things turn around rather quickly.

4 Padres players' struggles that have been unexpected to start 2024 season

Luis Campusano, Padres C

Catchers are oftentimes graded on a sliding scale, as the position is valued more for its defense and game-calling rather than the all-around performance. That said, the Padres must get more out of Campusano's bat.

The Friars' backstop tandem of Campusano and Kyle Higashioka are both off to rather slow starts to begin the 2024 season. Campusano, who was hitting .400 with a 1.000 OPS through the first seven games of the season, has hit a lull. The Padres need some sort of production from Campusano moving forward in order to bolster the lineup.

Joe Musgrove, Padres RHP

Both Musgrove and Yu Darvish have started out the 2024 season rather poorly. Darvish is on the IL and nursing a neck injury with a 4.18 ERA, but Musgrove owns a much higher earned run average and is allowing the opposition to tee off at the dish. Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays, Musgrove is 2-2 with a 6.29 ERA and has seen opposing batters hit .337.

The Padres have received great performances from their newest additions in Cease and Michael King. But unless Musgrove gets going, it's going to be hard for the Friars to keep pace in the loaded NL West. The Padres need Java Joe to get back on track.

Ha-Seong Kim, Padres SS

Kim's bat is a luxury when a player possesses the type of defensive tools the Padres' shortstop does. But Kim has already committed more errors this season than he did all of last year after two miscues at shortstop in 2023.

Kim is still drawing plenty of walks, which certainly boosts his on-base percentage, but the Padres need more both in the batters' box and on the diamond. Kim's batting average was sitting below the Mendoza line earlier this season, but his on-base streak has seen that number climb recently. He has to keep it up and help the Padres' justify making him the starting shortstop over this guy ...

Xander Bogaerts, Padres 2B

Perhaps no player on the Padres roster has had a slower start to the 2024 season than Bogaerts. When you're making over $25 million per season, fans expect a lot, and early-season slumps are not accepted. Bogaerts has a lower OPS than Higashioka and Eguy Rosario. That's not going to fly.

Has the position change to second base affected Bogaerts' performance? If it has, the time for excuses is over and it's about production. You cannot have your leadoff hitter performing the way Bogaerts has. It's either time for the Padres' infielder to kick it into gear or Mike Shildt needs to make a change in his lineup.

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