The San Diego Padres have won their last two games, which is pretty much a feat in their case.
But all is not well under the hot California sun, since Bob Melvin’s men are still fourth and penultimate in their division, ten games from the lead.
One possible explanation is the performance of the Padres’ infielders, none of whom made it to the All-Star Game.
It is true that Ha-Seong kim would have certainly deserved a place among the stars in Seattle. But that is not the point.
In addition to Kim, San Diego have Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth in their ranks to fill their infield. That’s nearly $70 million for four starters who are underperforming for the majority of them.
These last three were selected for the All-Star Game in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. But we are far from the mark in 2023, each posting figures significantly lower than their career averages.
The only good news is that they won’t be able to do worse in the second half of the campaign and if they return to their usual standards, this could give the Padres a slim chance of climbing the steep slope they have created for themselves since April. .
And that’s manager Melvin’s wish.
It would mean good things for us.
It remains to be seen whether the quartet will be able to turn things around by the fall dance.
