Who’s hot and who’s not for Padres: April 25-May 1
Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
The Padres finished off a solid week, going 5-1 after sweeping the Reds and winning two out of three in Pittsburgh.
Here are the players who were hot throughout the week and others that struggled.
Hot
After getting off to a slow start, the 2021 All-Star second baseman is heating up. He collected seven hits this week, with a double, triple, and homer to the tune of a .814 OPS. He also drove in seven runs and scored six times.
The young lefty continues to prey on the struggling Reds. This time, he became just the second Padres rookie ever with 10-plus strikeouts in five innings or less. He struck out 10 Reds in five innings, allowing just one earned run. He currently owns a 1.76 ERA through his first three big-league starts.
The rook, MacKenzie Gore, is COOKING 😳 ♨️
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/ltKZ92LiW4
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2022
People keep waiting for Hosmer to cool down, and he refuses. This week he collected eight hits in the six games, including two in each of the three games in Cincinnati. At one point, he had a streak of four straight multi-hit games. He led the team this week with three homers and nine RBIs. He currently leads the entire major leagues with a .382 average thus far in 2022.
Eric Hosmer is hitting everything! pic.twitter.com/XUpsm5P3Xe
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 30, 2022
In Fernando Tatis Jr.’s absence, the team looked to Kim for production at shortstop. Lately, he has delivered. This week he was the only one besides Hosmer with multiple home runs. He did so in one less game, amassing seven hits and seven RBIs with a .368 average and 1.242 OPS in five contests. Those are numbers that Tatis himself put up only a few times in a week’s span.
Ha-Seong Kim goes yard for the Padres! pic.twitter.com/CyOAKMs7mx
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 29, 2022
An argument can be made that Hosmer has been the MVP of the squad so far (and even the entire National League). However, Machado has been bringing the lumber and the leather each and every day. He is second in the majors with a .375 average to Hosmer. His 1.031 OPS this season is sixth in the entire league. This week, he batted .462 with a 1.137 OPS, with three extra-base hits. Plus, he continues to play a Gold Glove-caliber third base.
We would remiss not to mention San Diego’s closer among the scorching hot Friars. The only downside to winning five of six for the week is that the closer gets used a ton. In four appearances this week, Rogers notched four saves while allowing just one baserunner.
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Not
Beaty has been one of the biggest disappointments this season. After arriving following his designation for assignment by the Dodgers, Beaty has been in a reserve role. In 13 games, he has just two hits. This week, he went 0-for-14.
The Padres pitching staff has been solid for the most part. The bullpen looked a little vulnerable this week, and that includes Lamet. He is yet to find his footing in 2022 in a relief role. In his lone appearance this week, he did not even complete one inning. He walked two, allowed two hits, including a home run, getting charged with two earned runs.
While Profar’s defense is still top-notch in left field, his bat has cooled off considerably. This week, he hit .080, going 2-for-25. Most thought his bat would return to Earth after reaching a 1.000 OPS last week. However, it’s probably safe to assume he will eventually hit better than a .419 OPS like he did this week.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.