The San Diego Padres are coming into the 2023 season looking to build off of what was a very successful 2022 campaign.
Even with Fernando Tatis Jr. on the shelf for the whole season, the team won 89 games and secured the second National League Wild Card spot.
They even eliminated the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, two NL juggernauts to reach the NLCS.
And after signing Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter, and Nelson Cruz to bolster their offense, several MLB analysts like what they see with this team.
This morning on MLB Network’s Hot Stove show, analysts discussed the Padres offseason and what could ultimately be the key to success for them.
#MLBNHotStove likes what they're seeing from this #Padres roster… pic.twitter.com/8ME88SQwgx
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 3, 2023
Keith Costas appeared on the show and discussed closer Josh Hader as a potential X-factor for the team.
Hader of course had an uncharacteristically bad regular season, posting an ERA of 5.22.
But in the postseason, the 28-year-old appeared to have turned the corner.
He appeared in five games and did not allow an earned run in 5.1 innings pitched.
He also had a WHIP of 0.38 struck out 10 batters while only walking one, so there is reason to potentially expect Hader to bounce back and return to his dominant self.
Matt Vasgersian discussed the starting rotation and its depth entering the 2023 season.
Despite losing Mike Clevinger to the Chicago White Sox and Sean Manaea to the San Francisco Giants, the Padres do have Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, and Blake Snell at the top.
The solid nucleus of Tatis, Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Bogaerts, Austin Nola, and Jake Cronenworth also cannot be overlooked.
NEXT: Nelson Cruz Reveals Why He Chose The Padres
