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Welcome back to our 2020 team-by-team previews. Today we will be checking out one of the teams with the most star-studded talent in fantasy this year, the San Diego Padres.
You can find all of our 2020 fantasy baseball MLB team previews here.
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Starting Lineup
| # | NAME | POS |
| 1 | Fernando Tatis | SS |
| 2 | Tommy Pham | LF |
| 3 | Manny Machado | 3B |
| 4 | Eric Hosmer | 1B |
| 5 | Trent Grisham | CF |
| 6 | Wil Myers | RF |
| 7 | Jurickson Profar | 2B |
| 8 | Francisco Mejia | C |
- Better in OBP formats: Tommy Pham, Trent Grisham
- Worse in OBP formats: Eric Hosmer
- Better than his ADP: Trent Grisham (305), Jurickson Profar (364), Wil Myers (295)
- Worse than his ADP: Manny Machado (57)
- Bench bat(s) worth rostering: Franchy Cordero
- Player(s) most likely to lose a starting spot: Francisco Mejia
Quick notes: This team is loaded with talent. Fernando Tatis is a risk/reward pick in the early rounds, but he could be a top-5 pick in 2021. Eric Hosmer is boring, but it’s nice to see him finally coming around on analytics and trying to elevate the ball. He’s an accumulator. Trent Grisham is a guy that you should target and grab in every draft at his current price. There’s nothing but value there.
Pitching Rotation
| # | NAME | R/L |
| 1 | Chris Paddack | R |
| 2 | Garrett Richards | R |
| 3 | Dinelson Lamet | R |
| 4 | Joey Lucchesi | L |
| 5 | Zach Davies | R |
- Better than his ADP: Garrett Richards (285)
- Worse than his ADP: Dinelson Lamet (125), Joey Lucchesi (234)
- Starter least likely to stick in the rotation: Zach Davies
- Non-starter most likely to enter the rotation: MacKenzie Gore, Cal Quantrill, Adrian Morejon
Quick notes: Chris Paddack is a bonafide ace. Don’t overthink it. Speaking of aces, just wait until you see MacKenzie Gore when he gets called up, as he has top-10 overall upside at SP. The Padres have no reason not to let Garrett Richards throw as many innings as he possibly can since he’s a pending free agent. The strikeouts will be nice, but Dinelson Lamet is a two-pitch pitcher (with one elite pitch), who gets hit hard when the batters make contact, and he struggles with walks. He’s a reliever long-term, and this year, if you want his production, just wait a few rounds and take Robbie Ray instead.
Bullpen
- Projected closer: Kirby Yates (Job Security: MEDIUM-HIGH)
- Top backup: Andres Munoz, Emilio Pagan
- Premier holds option: Drew Pomeranz
- Sneaky holds option: Craig Stammen
Quick notes: Kirby Yates has a strong hold on the closer’s role, but if he slips up at all, there are many guys in the wings that the Padres — who are feeling the pressure to compete this year — can turn to in a moment’s notice.
Prospects
- Relevant in 2020: MacKenzie Gore
- Worth a look for 2021 and beyond: Luis Patino, Taylor Trammell, C.J. Abrams, Luis Campusano,
- Don’t believe the hype: Gabriel Arias (has good power — impressive 17 homers in a tough ballpark in the Cal League — but a lot of holes in his swing.)
Other Helpful Fantasy Info
- Park Factor: 90.4 for runs, 87 for homers, 95.7 for singles, 94.6 for doubles, 87.1 for triples.
- Green Light Rating: Unknown (new manager).
- Likeliest 2020 roster moves: Acquiring a bullpen arm and bench bats.
- Bold Fantasy Prediction: Trent Grisham posts a 27/18 homer/steals line.
- Bland Fantasy Prediction: Manny Machado finishes outside of the top-12 at 3B and SS.
Check out all of our 2020 Fantasy Baseball MLB Team Previews.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.