LOS ANGELES — The Padres are in — and so they certain made it dramatic, didn’t they?
“This is what you play for, to get an opportunity to play in the postseason,” mentioned Jake Cronenworth. “And this group's ready.”
Here’s a have a look at what to anticipate and what lies forward for the playoff-bound Padres:
What may the postseason roster seem like?
Here’s one guess:
C: Kyle Higashioka, Elias Díaz
1B: Luis Arraez, Donovan Solano
2B: Jake Cronenworth
3B: Manny Machado
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Nick Ahmed (or Ha-Seong Kim, if wholesome)
OF: Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, Brandon Lockridge
UTIL: Tyler Wade
SP: Michael King, Dylan Cease, Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish
RP: Robert Suarez, Tanner Scott, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Bryan Hoeing, Wandy Peralta, Martín Pérez
What are the largest roster questions?
There are minor questions in the bullpen — and maybe a query as to whether or not they’d carry 12 pitchers or 13. But the largest spot in flux on a possible postseason roster is shortstop. Kim continues to be coping with the results of a shoulder damage. It’s unclear if he’ll return this season. But with the finish of the season in sight, it appears unlikely.
Bogaerts has moved to shortstop in Kim’s absence, and the Padres lately chosen the contract of Ahmed to function their backup shortstop.
What are the Padres nonetheless taking part in for?
Mainly, their first division title in 18 years. If they'll end the season tied with L.A., the NL West can be theirs.
The Padres have already secured the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dodgers. They additionally personal the tiebreaker over Milwaukee (as the Padres would wish to complete as one in all the prime two division winners to earn a bye to the National League Division Series).
“There’s more to be had than just a Wild Card spot,” mentioned rookie phenom Merrill. “We’ve still got a chance at this [division title], and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
If the Padres can’t chase down the Dodgers, there’s nonetheless worth in ending as the top-ranked Wild Card workforce. That would include home-field benefit in the Wild Card Series. San Diego can lock that up as quickly as Wednesday.
Whom would possibly the Padres play?
If the Padres win the NL West and earn a first-round bye, their opponent wouldn’t be decided till after the Wild Card Series. If they end as the prime Wild Card — the place they at the moment sit — they’d maintain the No. 4 seed in the NL with three prospects to seize the No. 5 seed: the Mets, Diamondbacks and Braves.
That mentioned, the Padres may not know their Wild Card Series opponent till Monday. The Braves and Mets are slated to play a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday after the final two video games of this week’s collection in Atlanta have been postponed because of inclement climate.
What would possibly the Padres’ postseason rotation seem like?
Again, this is dependent upon the place the Padres end — and probably whether or not their regular-season finale in opposition to the Diamondbacks on Sunday carries division-title implications.
King is tentatively lined as much as begin that recreation. But King additionally has a robust case to characteristic towards the prime of a postseason rotation, on condition that he’s posted a 2.15 ERA since the All-Star break.
If King doesn’t pitch Sunday, the Padres may go along with their present alignment of King-Cease-Musgrove. If he does, the Padres may line up Cease-Musgrove-Darvish for a Wild Card Series. Or, in the event that they earn a bye, they might line up Cease-Musgrove-King-Darvish for the NLDS.
As Musgrove lately mentioned: “This is the problem you want to have — having one too many arms over one too few.”
When do the playoffs begin?
Each Wild Card Series begins with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday. If the Padres have been to win the NL West and earn a bye to the NLDS, they’d open their postseason on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Petco Park in opposition to the winner of a kind of Wild Card Series.
