The San Diego Padres finished 2026 at 91–71, reached the postseason for a franchise-record third consecutive year, and gave us another October worth believing in. They also gave us blown leads, offensive slumps, questionable decisions, and the familiar reminder that getting close to a championship and winning one are two very different things.
But damn, what a season.
From summer struggles to a September surge
The Padres didn’t coast into October. There were stretches when the offense sputtered, the pitching staff battled inconsistency, and questions about the roster’s future raised the possibility of a sell-off. First-year manager Craig Stammen and general manager A.J. Preller had plenty to figure out.
The turnaround was impressive. San Diego won 17 of its final 20 regular-season games, finishing with 91 victories and securing another postseason berth. The late surge transformed a season that had felt uncertain into one with legitimate October possibilities.
The biggest question was whether the offense and pitching could sustain that momentum against the best teams in baseball.
The players who defined the season
Fernando Tatis Jr. endured a frustrating start, including a long wait for his first home run of the season. For a player with his talent, watching the power take so long to arrive was maddening. But Tatis finished the regular season with 25 home runs, 83 RBIs, 38 stolen bases, 96 runs scored, and a .289 batting average. He appeared in 159 games and ultimately delivered another productive season, even if the early struggles made it feel like he was chasing his usual form for months.
Manny Machado remained a central figure in the lineup, finishing with 30 home runs and 91 RBIs. His season ended with one of the most painful moments of the playoffs: a potential game-tying home run in Game 4 of the Division Series that Milwaukee’s Garrett Mitchell robbed with a spectacular catch at the wall.
Jackson Merrill continued to be an important part of the Padres’ young core, appearing in 158 games and hitting 26 home runs with 87 RBIs. His .254 batting average reflected some inconsistency, but his power and everyday presence remained valuable.
Luis Campusano contributed 8 home runs and 30 RBIs in 71 games. And then there was Ethan Salas, the 20-year-old catching prospect whose September arrival became one of the season’s most exciting developments. After starting his major-league career 0-for-15, Salas caught fire, going 10-for-24 (.417) to finish his first month in the majors. On September 16, he hit the first two home runs of his career in the same game, becoming the youngest catcher in MLB history to accomplish that feat. He finished his regular-season debut with 10 hits, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and a .256 batting average in 16 games.
That is the kind of development Padres fans should be excited about: a top prospect arriving during a postseason push and showing that he belongs.
The pitching staff had its own share of highs and lows. Michael King emerged as a major postseason weapon, while Mason Miller brought the high-leverage expectations that come with a power closer. The bullpen helped carry the team through much of the season, although the workload and late-inning pressure became increasingly consequential in October.
October started exactly how we wanted
San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series, winning 8–0 in Game 1 and 4–1 in Game 2. Michael King helped establish the tone, and the Padres advanced without needing a third game.
Two games, two wins. The Cubs were gone, and the Padres had gotten revenge for the postseason prior.
Waiting for them were the Milwaukee Brewers, winners of 103 regular-season games and one of the toughest teams in the National League. This was the real test.
The Brewers series: heartbreak in four games
Game 1 was a 3–2 Milwaukee victory. Luis Campusano and Jake Cronenworth drove in runs for San Diego, but Jackson Chourio tied the game with a two-run homer before William Contreras delivered the decisive solo shot in the seventh.
Game 2 was worse. The Padres carried a 3–2 lead into the ninth inning, with Mason Miller attempting a six-out save. Milwaukee loaded the bases, and Chourio delivered a two-run walk-off single for a 4–3 Brewers win. San Diego suddenly trailed the best-of-five series 2–0.
The season was on the brink.
Then came Game 3 at Petco Park. Cronenworth broke a tie with a solo home run in the fifth inning, and the Padres survived for a 4–3 victory. With Miller unavailable after being placed on the postseason paternity list, King returned to the mound despite having started Game 2. He threw 17 pitches over six outs, allowing one hit and walking two to secure the save.
A starting pitcher coming back on short rest to protect a one-run lead with the season on the line? That was gutsy baseball. King gave San Diego another night.
But the comeback stopped there.
In Game 4, the Padres managed only three hits and lost 3–1, ending their season. Tatis hit a solo home run for San Diego’s only run, while Mitchell’s catch robbed Machado of the tying homer in the eighth. The Brewers won the series 3–1 and advanced to the National League Championship Series.
What comes next?
The 2026 season was a genuine achievement, but it also exposed the work still ahead. A 91-win team that reaches October for three straight years is doing plenty right. A team that cannot get past the Division Series still has unfinished business.
Preller’s roster-building decisions will remain central to the franchise’s future. The Padres need to keep their core productive, develop young talent such as Salas, build sufficient rotation depth, and make sure their bullpen has enough left when October arrives. Stammen’s first season also gives the organization a foundation to evaluate as it plans for another run.
The franchise has reached the World Series twice, in 1984 and 1998, and has never won it. That history is part of what makes every postseason exit sting. We are not looking for another respectable season just to say we made the playoffs. We want the parade.
Still, there is a difference between a lost season and a wasted one. The Padres won 91 games, swept the Cubs, fought back against Milwaukee, and gave us a glimpse of what this roster can do when everything clicks.
We can appreciate the season without pretending the ending was good enough.
The Padres have made the postseason in five of the last seven seasons. So, we’ll be back. We’ll put on the brown and gold, fill Petco Park, argue about the lineup, question the bullpen, and believe again.
Here’s to the 2026 San Diego Padres: 91 wins, another October, and a dream that refuses to die.
San Diego, forever brown and gold. Let’s run it back.