The most important questions hanging over the Padres in 2026

The 2026 season is off and running, and it hasn't been the best start the San Diego Padres could have hoped for.

Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez shut down the offense in back-to-back games to open the season, though a masterclass from Randy Vasquez salvaged the final game against the Detroit Tigers. That series wasn't perfect, but it is a good representation of what could go right and wrong for the Friars this season.

So, with the opening series in the books, what should Padres fans be on the lookout for in 2026?

3 questions that will define Padres' 2026 season

Does Fernando Tatis Jr. have another star turn in him?

One of the league's premier outfield defenders, Tatis' bat isn't exactly scorching right out of the gates (.182/.250/.182). The offense has predictably struggled as a result, scoring just seven runs in three games.

Some that is due to the level of competition; Skubal, Valdez, and Jack Flaherty form a fierce trio that could shut down anyone. But Tatis absolutely has to be better atop the lineup if the Padres want to right their offensive wrongs from last year.

It's been a few years since he was an annual 150 wRC+ threat, but he's the face of the franchise. We saw a frigid group swing their way out of the playoffs last year. To avoid a similar fate, Tatis has to lead by example.

Will Sung-mun Song remain healthy and effective?

You could extend this entire question to the team's rebuilt bench, featuring Luis Campusano, Bryce Johnson, and whichever of Ty France/Gavin Sheets/Nick Castellanos/Miguel Andujar are sitting on a given day.

But Song is the engine that will make this group go, at least once he's back from an oblique injury. The Padres' largest expenditure on a position player this offseason, the KBO convert has the versatility to play nearly any position on the diamond. If his bat translates, Craig Stammen will have more flexibility with crafting his lineup on a nightly basis, as well as giving veterans a night off on occasion.

If the 29-year-old Song stumbles, however, the middle infield will be completely lacking in reserves. His success and health this year will go a long way toward determining who sticks around on the bench.

Is Randy Vasquez ready for prime time in the rotation?

It's only been one start, but so far, so good on this front.

Vasquez was masterful against the Tigers, preventing a sweep while firing off six shutout innings. He's being pressed into mid-rotation duty earlier than expected thanks to setbacks in Joe Musgrove's return from Tommy John surgery, but what a boon it would be for this much-maligned rotation if he turned into a legitimate weapon behind Nick Pivetta and Michael King.

There's room for concern among the pessimistic crowd — his command remains less than sharp, and his career FIP sits at 4.75 — but Vasquez is the Padres' best chance at getting frontline-starter production from elsewhere in the rotation in 2026. His success will play a huge part in where the team ultimately goes.