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Padres' recent grade has some undertones of mystery
TL;DR
The San Diego Padres are performing well this season, tied with the Dodgers for the NL West lead. However, their recent B+ grade from ESPN raises questions about their star players' inconsistent performances.
Key points
- San Diego Padres are tied with Los Angeles Dodgers in NL West
- Padres received a B+ grade from ESPN
- Star players are underperforming despite team success
- Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting hard but not achieving home runs
- Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are batting around .220
San Diego PadresLos Angeles DodgersFernando Tatis Jr.Manny Machado
Padres' recent grade has some undertones of mystery originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres have been great this season, there is no doubt about it. They are neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the National League West, and are on pace to be a playoff team at the end of this season.
ESPN's David Schoenfield handed out grades for all 30 MLB teams and the Padres score is a bit of a controversial one. Although at a respectable and understandable B+, there is some undertones of something else happening underneath the early success.
Namely the star power not being as powerful for the usual reasons. Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting the ball harder than anyone else in Major League Baseball, but none have become a souvenir for fans. Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are batting around the .220's, which is not sustainable over a 162-game season.
Q&A
What grade did the Padres receive from ESPN for the season?
The Padres received a B+ grade from ESPN for their performance this season.
Why is the Padres' recent grade considered controversial?
The grade is seen as controversial due to the underwhelming performances of star players like Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.
How are the Padres performing compared to the Los Angeles Dodgers?
The Padres are neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the National League West.
