The San Diego Padres are a team that I invested in around the All-Star Break, and they are starting to look like the investment has paid off.They are nine games above .500 and are sitting in second place in the NL West.
They won't catch the Dodgers for the division, but if they keep this up, they should make the postseason without too much difficulty.They have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past 24 days.
Since July 24th, they have gone 17-5.San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler delivers during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., on Aug.11, 2026.
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)Tonight they look to keep that run alive by sending Walker Buehler to the hill.Buehler has been fine this season with a 7-5 record and a 4.88 ERA.
He also has contributed 100 strikeouts and has a 1.43 WHIP.Buehler has struggled on the road with an ERA that is a full run higher than his homework.
Buehler is a very frustrating pitcher because there are some stretches where you see just how good he can be — for example, in June he allowed five earned runs in five starts spanning 26.1 innings.Then in July, he allowed 16 earned runs in nine innings of work.
He has been in one of his better stretches in August, allowing just five earned runs over 14.1 innings covering three starts.Mets hitters are batting .211 against him over 38 at-bats.The New York Mets are one of the more frustrating teams in baseball.
I'm not a Mets fan, but it is hard to make sense of why the team falls apart.If you look at their roster on paper, you have to assume they would be a winning club.
I suppose looking at the pitching staff would give you pause, but they've seen success with guys in the rotation in the past.Their stats are not that much worse than the Padres, but in terms of wins, they are 13 games under .500.NEW REPORT SUGGESTS THE NEW YORK METS ARE OPEN TO TRADING FRANCISCO LINDOR AMID DISASTROUS SEASONNew York Mets pitcher No...