Sports
Eight concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Padres in the NLDS
Jurickson Profar is often overlooked, but is a key player for the Padres.
(Associated Press)
Even if the Dodgers handle Arráez, Machado, Tatis and Merrill, the Padres have other bats capable of wreaking havoc in their lineup.
Profar, an 11th-year switch-hitter who was part of the Padres’ 2022 team, had a career season as a first-time All-Star, batting .280 with 24 home runs, 85 RBIs and an .800-plus OPS from both sides of the plate, ascending to the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
Solano went from being a minor-league signing to the Padres’ primary first baseman, hitting .286 in 96 games, while another midseason minor-league addition, former Dodgers outfielder David Peralta, hit .286 as a reliable bat off the bench.
Bogaerts, the team’s $280-million signing two offseasons ago, might have had the biggest second-half turnaround, rebounding from a wretched first half — his OPS was under .600 through July 21 — by hitting .291 over his final 59 games.
About the only Padres regular who struggled late in the year was infielder Jake Cronenworth, who hit .215 after the All-Star break. Yet he still drew a team-high 31 walks in that stretch.
As far as injuries go, the only key piece the Padres are missing is Gold Glove utility man Ha-Seong Kim, who is out the rest of the year because of a shoulder injury.