The Mariners are set to face the Padres in a three-game series starting April 14, 2026, after a successful weekend against the Astros. The matchups feature Mariners starters Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, and Luis Castillo against Padres pitchers Michael King, Randy VƔsquez, and Walker Buehler.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Manny Machado #13 and Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrate on the field after defeating the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Manny Machado #13 and Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrate on the field after defeating the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park on April 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was great to see the Mariners finally play up to their potential for an entire weekend. That it came at the expense of the Astros makes it all the more sweet. Between the odd fourth game against Houston on Monday, the quick three-game road trip to San Diego in the middle of this week, and a quick second series against the Rangers back at home this weekend, Iām not sure what the MLB schedule makers were thinking with this week.
Game
Time
Mariners Starter
Padres Starter
Mariners Win%
Padres Win%
Game 1
Tuesday, April 14
6:40 pm
RHP Bryan Woo
RHP Michael King
51.3%
Game 2
Wednesday, April 15
6:40 pm
RHP Emerson Hancock
LHP Randy VƔsquez
48.8%
Game 3
Thursday, April 16
5:40 pm
RHP Luis Castillo
RHP Walker Buehler
51.8%
Overview
Padres
Mariners
Edge
Batting (wRC+)
102 (7th in NL)
113 (2nd in AL)
Mariners
Fielding (FRV)
-2 (10th)
-29 (12th)
Padres
Starting Pitching (FIP-)
107 (12th)
100 (7th)
Mariners
Bullpen (FIP-)
86 (1st)
97 (10th)
Padres
The Mariners won the inaugural āofficialā version of the Vedder Cup last year, taking five of six games against the Padres. The last time San Diego won this regional rivalry was back in 2021.
The Padres have been one of the most entertaining teams over the last few years. Theyāve got tons of superstar talent on the big league roster and havenāt been afraid to make aggressive moves to stay competitive. Years of those win-now moves have depleted the depth in San Diegoās organization, which makes this roster pretty top heavy and potentially very fragile. When everyone is healthy and things are working as they should be, this team is as good as any other in the National League.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Ramón Laureano
LF
R
488
24.4%
7.2%
0.231
138
Fernando Tatis Jr.
RF
R
691
18.7%
12.9%
0.178
131
Jackson Merrill
CF
L
483
22.4%
6.8%
0.193
116
Manny Machado
3B
R
678
19.3%
8.1%
0.185
123
Xander Bogaerts
SS
While the Padresā pitching staff isnāt currently at full strength, the lineup is firing on all cylinders. Built around a quartet of stars, the offense mirrors the construction of the entire roster: extremely top heavy. Fernando Tatis Jr. hasnāt been able to replicate the MVP-type production from earlier in his career before his motorcycle accident in 2021, but heās still been one of the best players in baseball over the last three years. Manny Machado is the iron man of the group; heās played in less than 150 games in a season just three times in his 12-year career and one of those times was his rookie year when he was called up midseason. Heās been one of the most consistent producers in baseball as well, the metronome in the heart of the Padres lineup. Iām not sure Xander Bogaerts will ever get back to the level of production he enjoyed in Boston, but he plays excellent defense at a premium position. The star with the biggest question marks is Jackson Merrill; he took a step back last year after a fantastic debut in 2024, though heās still only 23 years old and still has an extremely high ceiling.
Michael King looked like an ace in his one lone full season in the starting rotation back in 2024. He had made the switch from the bullpen during the year prior, but his follow up campaign after his breakout was filled with injuries. He missed about two and half months of the season last year with a shoulder injury and another two weeks in August with knee inflammation. He never really looked settled last year and his ERA and FIP really suffered. Heās got a couple of solid pitch pairs to attack batters on both sides of the plate; four-seam-changeup against left-handers and sinker-sweeper against right-handers. With his low-slot delivery, he gets a ton of horizontal movement on his secondary pitches, while still staying pretty vertical with his fastballs.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Randy VƔsquez
133.2
13.7%
9.1%
8.3%
40.1%
3.84
4.85
Emerson Hancock
90
16.6%
8.1%
15.2%
43.0%
4.90
5.08
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
13.2%
28.6%
93.5
89
73
94
0.329
Sinker
34.4%
4.2%
93.1
93
46
122
0.372
Cutter
24.3%
25.5%
90.2
91
76
111
0.376
Changeup
1.2%
12.4%
86.9
84
49
146
0.365
Curveball
4.8%
Randy VĆ”squez has spent the last few seasons as a reliable, innings-eating back-end starter for the Padres. Between 2023 and ā24, he had the lowest strikeout rate among all qualified starters, though his ERA was a decent 4.27. All of a sudden, heās throwing two ticks harder this year and heās more than doubled his strikeout rate. The extra oomph on his pitches is obviously great, but itās particularly helpful for VĆ”squez because of his seven-pitch repertoire. Discerning which of those seven pitches is heading towards the plate is a lot easier when you only have to worry about a 93 mph fastball rather than 95 mph heat. With the threat of a true, bat-missing heater in his back pocket, his entire arsenal becomes more effective because he has so many looks he can present to the batter.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Walker Buehler
126
16.3%
10.8%
15.8%
42.7%
4.93
5.66
Luis Castillo
180.2
21.7%
6.2%
10.5%
41.3%
3.54
3.88
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
28.2%
26.6%
94.0
94
68
97
0.435
Sinker
27.0%
11.7%
93.8
99
54
104
0.352
Cutter
16.2%
19.4%
90.6
92
83
99
0.421
Changeup
0.8%
11.5%
89.7
77
70
102
0.204
Curveball
4.3%
I can only assume that Walker Buehlerās 2019 and ā21 seasons are doing a lot of heavy lifting for his reputation as heās bounced between three different teams over the last two seasons. He put up 5.1 and 5.6 fWAR in those two campaigns but underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. He hasnāt been the same since and he was legitimately one of the worst pitchers in baseball last year. His four-seam fastball was one of the best in baseball at his peak but itās lost a ton of its carry and just isnāt an effective pitch anymore. Heās tried to adjust by deepening his repertoire and mixing in all of his secondary pitches a lot more often. It didnāt work in Boston last year, but the Padres desperately needed starting pitchers this spring, so theyāre giving Buehler another shot to see if he can figure things out.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Rangers
9-7
0.563
+11
W-L-L-W-W
Athletics
8-8
0.500
1.0
-9
W-W-W-W-L
Mariners
8-9
0.471
1.5
+11
L-W-W-W-W
Angels
8-9
0.471
1.5
-5
L-W-L-W-L
Astros
6-11
0.353
3.5
-12
L-L-L-L-L
Haha, Lastros.
Q&A
What are the game times for the Mariners vs Padres series on April 14-16, 2026?
The games are scheduled for 6:40 PM on April 14 and 15, and 5:40 PM on April 16, 2026.
Who are the starting pitchers for the Mariners in the series against the Padres?
The Mariners' starting pitchers are Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, and Luis Castillo for the three-game series.
What is the Mariners' win percentage against the Padres for the upcoming series?
The Mariners have a win percentage of 51.3% for Game 1, 48.8% for Game 2, and 51.8% for Game 3 against the Padres.
How do the Mariners and Padres compare in batting and pitching statistics?
The Mariners have a batting wRC+ of 113, ranking 2nd in the AL, while the Padres have a wRC+ of 102, ranking 7th in the NL; in pitching, the Mariners have a FIP- of 100, while the Padres have a FIP- of 107.
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