According to FanDuel, the San Diego Padres have a win total projection of 85.5 wins. You could argue both sides of the spectrum when it comes to the NL West franchise, but the Padres will hit over the win total this season.
For the 2025 San Diego Padres, it has been a never-ending hurdle to overcome the 2024 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They were able to push the Dodgers to a win or go home in Game 5 of the NLDS. They lost the game 2-0 after the bats went ice cold. The Dodgers were able to end the series limiting the Padres to 23 consecutive scoreless innings.
Most MLB experts believed that the Padres were the toughest test for the Dodgers throughout the postseason after Los Angeles made easy work of the New York Yankees in the World Series.
2025 San Diego Padres O/U: Win Total Why the Padres Will Hit the Over
Roster is Strong Enough to Win 86 Games
San Diego lost multiple key players during the off-season. Some names include setup man Tanner Scott, left fielder Jurickson Profar and, a piece who was vital behind the plate in Kyle Higashioka. They also lost utility man Ha-Seong Kim.
To combat the losses, the Friars added starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, utility man Connor Joe, and Elias Diaz to replace Higashioka.
Despite the roster not being the same as last year, there is still plenty of talent to go around. The Padres have three all-stars in Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and rookie sensation Jackson Merrill, who some argued should’ve won NL Rookie of the Year in 2024.
The starting rotation on the bump is still one of the best in baseball, which includes Yu Darvish, Michael King, Dylan Cease, Pivetta, and Kyle Hart. A reminder that Joe Musgrove is out for the entire season after getting Tommy John surgery in October after exiting early with elbow tightness against the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card series.
Look for Stephen Kolek to get a bigger role in the rotation throughout the season, who has moved from the bullpen to a starting that has gone better than expected.
All-Star Closer Robert Suarez Will be Able to Finish Games
A major piece for San Diego going into this season is all-star closer Robert Suarez. He had outstanding save numbers, finishing 36 games out of 42 save opportunities. The numbers may seem low to some, but fans must remember the Padres had the offense last season to blow teams out, creating fewer save opportunities. Not to mention that Suarez throws some of the hardest stuff out of any closers in the big show.
Padres are Right Behind Dodgers in the National League
The Padres lost some pieces some will argue but they did address the needs. Losing Profar will not be as important as people think, he has only proven the all-star production one time in his career, and it was last year. If the time comes during the season to find a hitter instead of relying on veteran Jason Heyward, look for aggressive General Manager A.J. Preller to make another splash move before the trade deadline.
Expect shortstop Xander Bogaerts to have a bounce-back year, after putting up one of the worst seasons of his career. Bogaerts knows what it takes to rebound from a tough season, after winning two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox before coming to San Diego.
The projected lineup will be tough for any pitcher to face, with leadoff man Luis Arraez being one of the best leadoff hitters in the game. The Padres also have one of the best one-through-four hitters in the MLB.
The projected lineup for the Padres:
- Luis Arraez
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Jackson Merrill
- Manny Machado
- Jake Cronenworth
- Xander Bogaerts
- Jose Iglesias
- Jason Heyward
- Elias Dias
Watch out for the Padres as they could potentially be a dark horse to win the World Series this season.
Main Image: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
