San Diego columnist makes bold (and possibly correct) claim about the 2024 Padres

Given the expectations before the season, most San Diego Padres fans would agree that this year's team has been one of the most fun and surprising teams in franchise history. After trading away Juan Soto and losing so much talent in free agency, most thought that this season would be a step back for the Padres. Instead, the Friars have looked like one of the best teams in baseball this season and the good times have been plentiful.

However, San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Nick Canepa went a step further over the weekend. In his latest column, Canepa argues that the 2024 Padres are the best team in franchise history. The crazy thing is that he could easily be right.

The argument that the 2024 Padres are the best team in franchise history already has a lot of merit

As Canepa points out, the competition here isn't exactly robust. The Padres' teams the last few years have some arguments on paper, but it is hard to ignore how disappointing those seasons turned out; especially 2023, which was a nightmare that everyone would just as soon forget. The two teams in Padres history that have the best arguments are the club's two World Series teams in 1984 and 1998. However, not only did those two teams combine to win one game in the Fall Classic, but the 2024 Padres have strong cases for supremacy over both of them.

While those aforementioned teams did win the division — which does matter — the 2024 Padres finished with a strictly better record than the 1984 squad that was fortunate to get to the World Series. Though the 1998 team won 98 games, that year's club didn't have a ton of depth behind Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti, Kevin Brown, and Trevor Hoffman.

Meanwhile, this year's team has All-Stars up and down the lineup and throughout their pitching staff. If you were to put this Padres team against the 1984 and 1998 teams, it probably wouldn't be close assuming Gwynn was kept in check (which was easier said than done).

Not only do the 2024 Padres have equivalent or better star power at every position on the field than those teams, but their supporting cast is simply much better. The bullpen is deep and great, the rotation is so good that at least one strong starter might have to be moved into the bullpen for the NL Wild Card Series, and the lineup has at least six players that can beat you singlehandedly on any given night.

None of that is a guarantee that this Padres team will get to the World Series like they did in 1984 and 1998, but calling this team the best in franchise history is far from a stretch.

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