The San Diego Padres have quietly surged in the standings, winning 23 of their last 35 games. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost 21 of 33 and now trail San Diego by a full game. Friday at Dodger Stadium, the division rivals will meet in the first of a consecutive weekend series.
Unexpected Padres Star Is Outpacing Shohei Ohtani Right Now originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The San Diego Padres have quietly surged in the standings, winning 23 of their last 35 games.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have lost 21 of 33 and now trail San Diego by a full game. Friday at Dodger Stadium, the division rivals will meet in the first of a consecutive weekend series. Even though it's the middle of August, the stakes certainly feel like October baseball.
The last time the Padres held sole possession of first place this late in a season was September 25, 2010, with current White Sox manager Will Venable batting leadoff. This season, shortstop Xander Bogaerts has emerged as a key contributor to San Diego’s rise.
On June 18 at Dodger Stadium, Bogaerts hit a tying double in the top of the ninth, only to see the Padres fall in a walk-off loss. After he lamented that he was still failing to provide enough production. At the time, Bogaerts ranked 10th among qualifying players in WAR, with most of that value coming from his defense.
Since then, Bogaerts has transformed into one of the most productive hitters in baseball. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that Bogaerts has posted 2.3 WAR over the past eight weeks, fifth among all major-league hitters and one spot ahead of Shohei Ohtani, the National League home run leader. Bogaerts' bat has become a middle-of-the-order force while he continues to contribute on defense and the basepaths.
Offensively, Bogaerts has hit .326 with a .908 OPS since June 19, providing a much-needed boost to a Padres lineup navigating a competitive NL West. If he keeps up, Bogaerts could contend for top WAR honors and help San Diego maintain its surprising grip on first place.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
