San Diego Padres' Biggest Strength So Far In 2016

The San Diego Padres are the team of 2016.

No, they are not the best team. They are the team that most exemplifies what is happening in MLB right now. They have thrown over 7,500 pitches in less than 50 games. That’s over 150 pitches per game. Their starters have thrown about 4,600 of them, or only about 92 pitches per game. That leaves the Padres’ bullpen second in pitches thrown in MLB (only the hapless bullpen of the Cincinnati Reds has thrown more). The Reds have tried more pitchers in the bullpen this year than the Cleveland Browns have tried quarterbacks this decade … that’s a ton.

Make no mistake about it: The beginning of the 2016 season has been tough on San Diego. It is 10 games below .500 and is the only team in its division that appears to have no chance this season. Its bullpen hasn’t been as reliable as its starting pitching, as it has the fifth-worst ERA in baseball over the most innings pitched. The starting rotation has made up for some of this by ranking 10th in ERA over the 16th most innings.

That’s why the Padres are the team of 2016. The Padres rank ninth in strikeouts and 28th in walks surrendered. Other teams are watching a ton of pitches go by. That means the starters are not getting deep into games and the bullpen is pitching too many innings. The depth of the Padres’ ‘pen, however, has netted a result of the 18th-best OPS surrendered in baseball. With just a bit more accuracy in location, the Padres’ pitching would join the elite.

The Padres may not be competitive this year. They have trouble on offense and a bullpen that is over taxed. However, they have shown that with just a little improvement in pitching, they’re ready for a big leap in the standings.