For some reason, the San Diego Padres‘ offense wasn’t among MLB’s top ten even after trading for Juan Soto and Josh Bell.
However, during the postseason, the unit has been combining some power with timely hitting.
Look at the Padres’ journey: they left behind the New York Mets, and then dispatched the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Both of those teams won 100 games are were supposed to be very superior to the Padres, but here we are.
San Diego has made it all the way to the National League Championship Series, where they will face the Philadelphia Phillies.
That series will begin tonight in San Diego: Petco Park is already receiving what is looking to be an intense, passionate crowd.
Yu Darvish will take the hill for the friars, and here is the starting lineup:
NLCS. Game 1. Here we go. #CaptureTheMoment pic.twitter.com/VFkkAPyf7h
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 18, 2022
A Dangerous Lineup
The team made a really cool presentation of its lineup, a unit that is more than good enough to make some damage.
Jurickson Profar is hitting leadoff, with Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Josh Bell and Jake Cronenworth following him in that order.
Wil Myers, Ha-Seong Kim, Trent Grisham and Austin Nola complete the unit.
Soto and Machado need no introduction, but it’s worth pointing out that Grisham has three homers so far in the postseason, Profar has an .800 OPS and Nola stands at .916.
Machado has a couple of long balls and a rock-solid .980 OPS.
Once Bell, Soto, and Cronenworth all start producing like we know they can, this offense could reach another level.
NEXT: Throwback Photo Shows The Journey Of Machado And Harper