The San Diego Padres might be the hardest team to rank for me. I feel like they are a team that could be really good as long as they stay healthy, but health is the major reason why I have them ranked number 16 in my Major League Baseball (MLB) power rankings.

The Padres lineup is pretty solid all around. Fernando Tatis Jr. showcased his outstanding skillset for most of last season, but injuries limited him to playing just 84 games where he had a .306 batting average with 21 home runs and 12 steals. If he can stay healthy this season, he could be the MVP of this team. Manny Machado is the Padres $300 million man who quietly had a good year in his first season in San Diego. He only had a .256 batting average, but he was walking a lot and had to deal with switching back and forth between shortstop and third base.

I also love the addition of Tommy Pham, who came to the Padres via a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is good for 20 steals and 20 home runs and should provide a boost to the lineup. The Padres also traded for former number one overall prospect Jurickson Profar to play second base, who has really started to find his stride in the big leagues over the past two seasons.

Their rotation has the potential to be very good, but they lack a true ace. Chris Paddack proved he can be a very good major league pitcher last season when his ego doesn’t get in the way plus Garrett Richards is fully healthy and should be a good option in the rotation as well. They also traded for Zach Davies from the Milwaukee Brewers who pitched well last year and could continue to improve as the Padres fifth starter.

As for the prospects, the Padres have the second best farm system in baseball according to Bleacher Report and they have a lot of names I personally am very high on. MacKenzie Gore is the number five overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline and has been outstanding in the minor leagues, boasting a 2.56 earned run average with 243 strikeouts in 183 innings of work across three seasons of pro baseball. Gore reached AA last year but could make the leap to the big leagues if he dominates AAA.

Next is CJ Abrams, a 19 year-old speedster who was picked sixth by the Padres in the 2019 MLB Draft and is MLB Pipeline’s number 25 prospect. Abrams dominated rookie baseball this season with a .401 batting average, 23 extra base hits scored and 14 steals. Abrams has above average power and as he grows into his body, he should start to hit more home runs.

The last prospect I need to highlight is hard throwing righty Luis Patiño, who the Padres signed from Colombia in 2016 and is MLB Pipeline’s number 27 prospect. He has really impressed scouts with his outstanding arm talent. Since he signed, he has grown both physically and on the mound, reaching 99 MPH on the radar gun. If he continues this quick development, he could reach the major leagues around the middle of this season.

I really do think the Padres can be good this year, but it all depends on how their prospects perform this season. Considering there are still a few question marks surrounding their health, I have no choice to make the Padres my number 16 team in baseball.

Top Acquisition – Tommy Pham

Biggest loss – Hunter Renfroe

MVP – Fernando Tatis Jr.

Projected Finish – 3rd in NL West

Projected Lineup:

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS
2. Tommy Pham, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Eric Hosmer, 1B
5. Wil Myers, RF
6. Trent Grisham, CF
7. Francisco Mejia, C
8. Jurickson Profar, 2B
9. Pitcher

Projected Rotation:

1. Chris Paddack
2. Garrett Richards
3. Dinelson Lamet
4. Joey Lucchesi
5. Zach Davies

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Twitter: @B_Murphy_MU