San Diego, CA
Three Up, Three Down: San Diego Padres
![Three Up, Three Down: San Diego Padres Three Up, Three Down: San Diego Padres](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jZFiR0xzUp3Knrv2wwVCv4vZ124=/0x0:4836x2532/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25580070/2166661546.jpg)
I tried doing these series previews early in the season before they ended up being too time-consuming and real life got in the way. Anyone who has read my in-depth pieces or listened to my podcast with John Ke knows brevity is not my strong suit. This time around, I borrowed a format from our mutual friend, Bleed Cubbie Blue site manager Al Yellon, to hopefully limit myself while still providing the relevant analysis. Let’s get into it.
Three Up
Old Friends, New Places
The Padres have a few former Twins, including fan-favorite and two-time batting champ Luis Arraez. I don’t want to rail against a three-time All-Star too much, but this is just your yearly reminder that batting average isn’t important in 2024. Arraez is second in the NL in BA among qualified hitters but has only accumulated 0.5 fWAR, ranking 65th among qualified NL batters and 128th overall in the NL.
What has Arraez’s value so low? The rest of his profile has regressed to the point the Twins feared when they traded him away two years ago. Defensively, he is limited to DH already at 27-years-old. In his limited time on the field, he ranks last in Outs Above Average and the bottom 10th percentile of arm strength. On the offensive side, there’s no power with a bottom-five .073 ISO and only 19 of his 110 hits going for extra bases. He has a 10th-percentile average exit velocity, 2nd-percentile barrel rate, and 3rd-percentile hard-hit rate. Weirdly, his chase rate is also way up compared to when he was with the Twins, ranking in the 12th percentile there. He doesn’t whiff when he chases leading to countless weak outs early in counts, which is worse than a whiff. Oh also, his 3.4% walk rate is the second worst in baseball, giving him the same OBP as Willi Castro who is hitting .258. Overall, Arraez has a league-average 103 wRC+ while making over $10 million and another hefty raise due in arbitration this summer. It’s not what you want.
The Padres also have 2023 curse-breaking legend Donovan Solano on their bench. Solano has actually out-produced Arraez this season by both fWAR (1.0 vs 0.5) and wRC+ (122 vs 103) despite playing in half the games. The Twins will also see Bomba Squad starter Martín Pérez in the series. Perez has been okay since departing the Twins Cities but has seen made meaningful improvements since arriving in San Diego, nearly doubling his strikeout rate while cutting his walk rate in half. That’s a recipe for success.
New Rotation Pieces
Speaking of rotation additions, the Padres also acquired Dylan Cease and Michael King in offseason trades. Cease has taken a meaningful step forward from where he was in 2022 when he finished second in Cy Young voting, striking out more even batters while limiting his walks and hits to career lows. He also threw a no-hitter two weeks ago, something he nearly did against the Twins in 2022 before Arraez broke it up with two outs in the ninth. Minnesota will avoid him in this series, luckily.
They will have to face Michael King, the crown jewel of the Juan Soto trade. King converted to starting toward the end of 2023 and dazzled in the new role. He was a power sinker/sweeper guy as a reliever but has added a changeup that might be his best pitch. Finally, a quick shout-out to Michael Waldron, a knuckleballer who has quietly been decent this season, which is always fun.
Unexpected Stars
The Padres’ surprising success, despite trading away Soto and stars Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis missing time due to injury, has been thanks to their emerging stars. Veteran Jurickson Profar and rookie Jackson Merrill lead the team in fWAR, despite neither having a clear path to the Opening Day roster a few months ago. Profar has broken out at 31 years old with a 147 wRC+, trailing only MVP contenders Shohei Ohtani, Ketel Marte, and Marcel Ozuna. Merill, meanwhile, never played a game above AA before breaking camp as the team’s centerfielder, a position he had never played prior to Spring Training. The 21-year-old has thrived on instincts while putting up All-Star offense, trailing only Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, and Jarren Duran in wRC+ among centerfielders.
They’ve also gotten surprising contributions from veterans David Peralta, Kyle Higashioka, and Solano. Each has a wRC+ at least 15% above league average, exactly what this Padres team needed around their stars.
Three Down
Tatis’ Latest Injury
Fernando Tatis has had an rollercoaster career but has settled in as a rock-solid contributor since moving to right field last season. Tatis isn’t showing the gaudy offensive numbers he did early on, but is still well above average in that department while putting up some of the best defensive metrics in baseball. He’s been out since mid-June with a stress reaction in his right femur, something that could easily turn into a multi-year injury if not given enough time to heal. The Padres have to be careful, and the aforementioned Peralta is filling in admirably in the meantime, but any World Series hopes San Diego carries feature Tatis front and center.
Kim in Question
Ha-Seong Kim has quietly emerged as one of the more valuable players around the league. The Korean product is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game and has improved to be a league-average hitter, a marked step up from his early career. Kim jammed his throwing shoulder diving back to first base yesterday and may end up on the IL. He will almost assuredly miss this series, which is a major hit for San Diego. Though the team is essentially built out of former shortstops, they don’t have a clear replacement on the roster.
The logical candidate would be Xander Bogaerts, a career shortstop before 2024, but he slid over to second because his defense had fallen off a cliff. He also is coming off an extended IL stint with a shoulder injury of his own, and the Padres likely don’t want to risk losing another key cog. Other options include infielder Jake Cronenworth who has played all over the infield but has settled in primarily at first and second base and hasn’t played short in any extended role since 2021. Utility man Tyler Wade is also on the roster, but he is a zero offensively. Regardless of the choice, expect to see a lot more Donovan Solano in the lineup as he will backfill whoever moves over.
Hot, Hot, Hot
This is more of a “down” for the Twins because there’s not much negative to say about this team right now! The Twins are tied for the most wins in baseball since August 1 with 11. The team they’re tied with? The San Diego Padres, who have gone 11-4 since then and 20-6 since the All-Star break. It’s all clicking at the right time for the Dads. Depending on your current feelings on the Guardians and Orioles, this might be the best team the Twins face the rest of the way.
Another day, another failure of brevity. Listen, I had an Arraez rant locked and loaded and we don’t see the Padres often, so I had a lot to say. Cut me some slack.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
San Diego, CA
Two New Dining Options Land Next to Petco Park
![Two New Dining Options Land Next to Petco Park Two New Dining Options Land Next to Petco Park](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ikQwCkbCq67dlf-bV2DQBx5IMiA=/0x977:1536x1781/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25577770/Tortuga_Ocean_Bowl___Hearts_of_Palm___Shrimp_Ceviche.jpg)
After completing a $30 million renovation, the Omni San Diego is introducing two new restaurants that have been renamed and refreshed just in time to catch the last leg of summer and the regular baseball season.
Ace Porter anchors the luxury hotel, taking over the space where McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks once occupied. Open to the public as well as hotel guests, the restaurant has a separate arbored entrance from the street for walk-in visitors to the 95-seat space. there’s a separate arbored entrance from the street to welcome walk-ins and visitors to the 95-seat restaurant. As it’s the only hotel that has direct access to Petco Park via an elevated sky bridge, Ace Porter’s bar — which stays open late — will pay homage to its proximity to the ballpark with a baseball motif that features chandeliers outfitted with small spheres that resemble baseballs and leather bar seats meant to fit guests like a baseball glove.
The baseball theme carries throughout the menu, giving Padres fans more pre- or post-game dining options. Menu categories range from “designated hitters,” to “clubhouse,” and “post-game” with highlights including seven-ounce blackened Angus burgers with crispy cheese, blistered shishito peppers, a chicken and waffle cone sundae, and Frings nachos.
Located on the sixth floor, Tortuga is a new rooftop restaurant with a view of the city skyline. The 10,670-square-foot terrace has indoor and outdoor tables, an expansive U-shaped outdoor bar, firepit seating, and private dining space. Adjacent to the dining terrace is the large hotel pool and 13 cabanas.
Ace Porter and Tortuga are headed by executive chef Wenceslao Zavala, who brings a familiarity with Baja California cuisine to his menus, having run a pandemic-era beachside food truck featuring smoked meats and fish in Rosarito Beach.
On Tortuga’s poolside terrace, hotel guests and locals alike can dive into coastal fare, including grilled Baja fish tacos, birria tacos, poke salad, and shrimp adobada, or grilled shrimp in an adobo sauce. Bottle service, champagne, local beers, and cocktails, like lychee martinis and blood-orange bellinis, will also be available. Tortuga is planning for a grand opening party on August 28 that’ll feature bites from the menu, summer cocktails, and a DJ.
San Diego, CA
Man Arrested After Hit-And-Run Crash That Killed Pedestrian: SDPD
![Man Arrested After Hit-And-Run Crash That Killed Pedestrian: SDPD Man Arrested After Hit-And-Run Crash That Killed Pedestrian: SDPD](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/22880694/20240818/104657/styles/patch_image/public/flashinglights___18224635158.jpg)
SAN DIEGO, CA — A 31-year-old San Diego man has been arrested in a hit-and-run collision that resulted in the death of a 49-year-old woman, authorities said Saturday.
On Aug. 1 at 3 a.m., the victim was crossing in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of National Avenue and 28th Street in the Logan Heights neighborhood, according to the San Diego Police Department.
“While crossing, a vehicle making a left turn from westbound National Avenue to 28th Street struck the female in the crosswalk,” the department said in a statement. “After the collision, the vehicle fled the scene. The female sustained serious injuries.”
Find out what’s happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she died shortly afterward, police said.
The suspect’s vehicle was identified as a white 2015 Chevrolet Silverado. The driver, Erick Rios, surrendered at 12:15 p.m. Friday to traffic investigation detectives. He was booked into County Jail for alleged vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run, according to police.
Find out what’s happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the collision to call the SDPD at 619-531-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
City News Service
To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.
San Diego, CA
Ex-Florida State Quarterback Comes Up Short In Starting Competition At San Diego State
![Ex-Florida State Quarterback Comes Up Short In Starting Competition At San Diego State Ex-Florida State Quarterback Comes Up Short In Starting Competition At San Diego State](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4358,h_2451,x_0,y_214/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/nole_gameday/01j5m01xe4gfwcefdmm6.jpg)
Florida State had more than 20 players depart from its roster to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal throughout the offseason. The majority of those former Seminoles found homes across the FBS level.
Following two years in Tallahassee, AJ Duffy was among the players to move on from the program in December. Less than two weeks after hitting the portal, Duffy announced he was transferring to San Diego State to continue his college career. The Aztecs hired former Colorado offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Sean Lewis, to lead the program after Brady Hoke retired following last season.
READ MORE: Robert Griffin III Fired By ESPN Days After Defending Florida State
Duffy was one of two quarterbacks to sign with San Diego State as members of the 2024 class. The other was three-star prospect Danny O’Neil, who previously committed to Lewis while he was with the Buffaloes and was the Aztecs’ highest-rated high school signee.
The pair have been among the players competing for the starting job at San Diego State throughout the spring and fall. It appears that Lewis has come to a decision and Duffy will begin the year as a backup. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, O’Neil has been named the starting quarterback for the program’s upcoming opener against Texas A&M Commerce on August 31.
A major reason Duffy left Florida State was to have a chance at more playing time. He’ll have to stay ready for his shot at San Diego State. The California native certainly has the talent as he was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class who was selected to the Elite 11 Finals and Under Armour All-America Game.
Duffy spent his two years in garnet and gold backing up Jordan Travis, Tate Rodemaker, and Brock Glenn. He saw action in three games in 2022, completing 2/7 for 26 yards with one touchdown while rushing one time for five yards. Duffy was a Seminole Scholar and ACC Honor Roll member.
Nine members of the 2022 class (Duffy, Sam McCall, Bishop Thomas, Antavious Woody, Rodney Hill, Daughry Richardson, Qae’Shon Sapp, Ayobami Tifase, Kanaya Charlton) are no longer with the program less than three years after signing. Over half of the high school prospects from #Tribe22 have moved on from Florida State.
READ MORE: Former FSU Football Star, Super Bowl Champion Signs With Houston Texans
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