A Rule 5 Draft Pick from Pittsburgh, Bip Roberts had to stay with the Padres for the entirety of the 1986 Season, where he was used mostly out of the dugout as a Pinch Hitter, Pinch Runner, or defensive Replacement.  He returned to the Minors over the next two years, returning as a starter in 1989. Roberts batted .301 in 117 Games in 1989 and had his best year with San Diego the year after, batting .309 with 172 Hits and 46 Stolen Bases.  After a down year, Roberts was traded to Cincinnati but would return as a Free Agent in 1994…

Steve Finley played for eight Major League Teams, the third being San Diego.  While it can be stated that Finley proved his worth as a potential All-Star as an Astro, it was with the Padres where he proved it. Finley was traded from Houston along with Ken Caminiti and many others going into 1995; he batted over .290 in his first two years, showed increased power numbers, belting 30 Home Runs in 1996, and was tenth in MVP voting.  Finley made the All-Star Game for the first time in 1997, and though his 1998 numbers were weaker, Finley showed his merit.  He left…

After eight seasons, most of which with the Milwaukee Brewers, Mark Loretta signed with the San Diego Padres for the 2003 Season, and he had the best run of his career as a Padre. Loretta took over at Second Base for San Diego, and in 2003, he batted .314 with 13 Home Runs and 185 Hits, a very good year for him, but he had something better planned in 2004.  An All-Star for the first time, Loretta had career-bests in Runs (108), Hits (208), Doubles (47), Home Runs (16), RBIs (76), and the Slash Line (.335/.391/495), won the Silver Slugger and…

After five seasons spent with Houston and Pittsburgh respectively, Joe Musgrove was traded to San Diego, and the California weather must have agreed with him as the past four seasons have been the best of the right-hander’s career. Musgrove threw a no-hitter in his first season as a Padre, finishing the year with an 11-9 record, 203 Strikeouts and a 3.18 ERA.  He followed that up with his first All-Star, and a season where he posted his first 3.00 ERA (2.93).  Since then, Musgrove has dealt with injuries, including a torn UCL that will cost him the entirety of 2025. …

Yu Darvish was highly sought after in 2012, and the Japanese star signed with the Texas Rangers where he was a four-time All-Star.  The hurler later played for the Dodgers and the Cubs, and in 2021, as a veteran star, Darvish was dealt to the Padres, where he still plies his trade. Darvish, and his primary Catcher, Victor Caratini have played well for the Padres where the hurler was an All-Star in 2021, and won 16 Games with a 3.10 ERA the year after.    Entering 2025, Darvish is in his late 30s, but still is a potent starter in…

The Oakland Athletics were the team of the early 70s, but they went into a cost-cutting mode in 1976, jettisoning their stars through various methods.  One of those players was Rollie Fingers, one of the most influential closers in baseball history and the owner of the most iconic mustaches in sports. Fingers signed with San Diego after the aforementioned bicentennial year and remained a top closer.  A Padre for four years, Fingers was named the National League Rolaids Reliever of the Year in three of them, led the league in Saves twice, and compiled 108 Saves in total with San Diego. Fingers…

The first man with the name of Dave Roberts to play for the San Diego Padres, this incarnation was a Pitcher who was an original Padre, arriving as an Expansion Draft Selection from the Pirates organization. Roberts did not do much in San Diego's inaugural year, but he improved in 1970, going 8-14 over 181.2 Innings with a 3.81 ERA.  His 1971 Season proved to be Robert's best year in Baseball, when despite his losing 14-17 Record, he had a sweet ERA of 2.10, with a 1.109 WHIP.  Roberts was sixth in Cy Young voting, the only season he ever received Cy…

After two years with the Texas Rangers, Chris Young was traded to the San Diego Padres, the team he had his longest tenure. Young threw over 170 Innings and struck out at least 160 batters in both of his first two seasons as a Padre, going to the All-Star Game in 2007 when he had a 9-8 Record with a 3.12 ERA.  Young dealt with injuries over the next three seasons and only appeared in 36 Games in this stretch.  He left San Diego for the Mets as a Free Agent in 2011. With San Diego, Young went 33-25 with a 3.60…

Yes, we know. Again, we know. The San Diego Padres have been in existence for over a half-century, so how can we rank a player regardless of position at all?  Here is how. Kevin Brown's single season in San Diego is the greatest in franchise history and is so by far. Let’s repeat it. Yes, we know. Again, we know. The Padres have had Cy Young winners, and Brown was not one of them.   Brown is also a player who only was a Padre for one year, but in terms of bWAR and other advanced metrics, he exceeds that of many…