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2020 MLB San Diego Padres World Series Odds & Picks

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

The Future is Now for the San Diego Padres

The time has come for the San Diego Padres to rise from the cellar of the NL West. This franchise has not had a winning season in 10 years and hasn’t been to the postseason since 2006, but a long-term rebuilding effort is set to finally pay off as the Padres’ young prospects are ready to make an impact.

San Diego has spent the last three offseasons acquiring Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado, and Tommy Pham to steady the ship while the youngsters gain their footing, so the time is ripe for a breakout.

2020 San Diego Padres World Series
Betting Online Odds at FanDuel: +5000

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

2020 San Diego Padres
Season World Series Odds Overview

San Diego has huge upside with the amount of young talent on the roster and in the farm system. At the start of the 2019 season, the Padres had the best farm system in baseball with a whopping 10 players ranked in the top 100 prospects. Multiple players have since been promoted to the big leagues, but this is still one of the top minor league systems. That has the Padres poised to compete starting this season.

National League West

The Padres are likely to compete with the Arizona Diamondbacks for second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division. The Dodgers are massive -1000 favorites to win the NL West at FanDuel after another offseason spending splurge, while the Diamondbacks are +950 and the Padres are +1100 to take down the division. The Rockies and Giants are seen as also-rans.

On the Hill

Chris Paddack showed tremendous stuff as a rookie in 2019. San Diego was cautious with the young pitcher, only allowing him to throw 140.2 innings, but he was lights out when he took the mound. He was 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA and a 0.981 WHIP, and he averaged 9.8 K/9. Paddack had excellent control as a rookie with just 31 walks allowed. If he develops his curveball, he could become a top-end pitcher this season.

Dinelson Lamet’s first season back from Tommy John surgery was promising. Lamet posted a 4.07 ERA and a 1.260 WHIP in 73 innings of work, and he showed phenomenal control with his slider. His 12.9 K/9 was the best among San Diego’s starters, and that slider was responsible for almost 75 percent of his strikeouts. He needs further work on his other pitches to become a solid starter, but the potential is there.

Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2018 meant that Garrett Richards only pitched 8.2 innings last season. He was rocked in that little bit of action, posting an 8.31 ERA, but he struck out 11 batters. Richards hasn’t been healthy since the 2015 season, yet it was the promise he showed during 2014 and 2015 that led to the Padres taking a chance on him.

At the Plate

Manny Machado’s first season in San Diego was a disappointment. Machado could only manage a .796 OPS, and he led the majors in GiDP. The high-priced free agent crushed left-handed pitchers, but his triple slash of .239/.315/.400 against righties left much to be desired. He isn’t an injury risk with 155 games played in each of the last five seasons, so he should provide the Padres with a boost if he improves on last year’s totals.

Fernando Tatis Jr. proved to be too good to hold down any longer in 2019. The 21-year-old Tatis raked during his rookie season, and he would have been named the NL Rookie of the Year if two separate injuries didn’t lead to him missing half the year. He hit 22 home runs and stole 16 bases in 84 games, finishing the year with a .969 OPS, so the sky is the limit entering the 2020 campaign.

The Padres are hoping for more out of Eric Hosmer in 2020. Hosmer has been a league average player since coming to San Diego two years ago. He finished last season with a 93 OPS+, and he struck out over four times as often as he walked. His power isn’t good enough to overcome such a massive deficiency, and that has led to a plummeting average too.

2020 San Diego Padres World Series Projection

San Diego is dripping with potential in 2020. If the free agents play up to their contracts, and most of the prospects hit, the Padres could win one of the two NL Wild Card spots. Conversely, this team might still be a year away if the free agents continue to underperform and the prospects don’t pan out. There might not be a team with a wider range of possibilities than the Padres in 2020.

2020 San Diego Padres World Series Free Pick:
A longshot that can pay off

Odds provided by FanDuel (IN, NJ, PA & WV only)
Subject to Change - T&C's Apply, 21+

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