The San Diego Padres may be missing their best player, Fernando Tatis Jr., and their offense may not be the best in baseball.
But they sure can pitch.
Their starting rotation is excellent, with Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, and Mike Clevinger all boasting great numbers.
Darvish, however, has been particularly dominant as of late.
His excellence has earned him the nod to start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series and also given him the chance to earn an important individual award.
“The Padres’ starter for Game 1 of their Wild Card series was named National League Player of the Month for September. Yu Darvish had a 1.85 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in six starts,” San Diego Union-Tribune Kevin Acee tweeted on Monday.
The Padres’ starter for Game 1 of their Wild Card series was named National League Player of the Month for September.
Yu Darvish had a 1.85 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in six starts.— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) October 3, 2022
Darvish Is Rounding Into Form
A 1.85 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP over a six-start sample is actually quite impressive, and a sign that Darvish is rounding into form at the right time.
For the season as a whole, the righty has a rock-solid 3.10 ERA with a 3.31 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in 194.2 innings.
With 197 strikeouts and 4.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Darvish has been one of the best and most consistent pitchers in the National League.
If it wasn’t for Sandy Alcantara, he would have a chance at competing for the Cy Young award.
All the Padres want is for him to maintain his current form in the playoffs.
Before the start of Tuesday’s games, the Padres held the second Wild Card and the fifth seed in the National League, which means they would face the New York Mets if the playoffs started today.
Things can still change, though, but Darvish looks ready to dominate right now.
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