Get To Know Your 2008 San Diego Padres: Pitchers

Well, one of my faithful readers (my cousin, Ted) has gone and done it.  What started out as a simple suggestion has taken over my every thought.  My cousin had offered me a helpful comment asking to break down some of the position battles that could be decided during Spring Training.  No problem, I thought.  Easy enough.  Well…not so easy.  After getting started on what I assumed would be quick dust-up on some of the storylines heading into the new season, I realized that this assignment has rapidly grown out of control.  As such, this will be just the first installment of an in-depth look at all the positions that are up for grabs this season and the athletes that will be competing for space on the 2008 San Diego Padres Baseball Club.

There are some fresh faces, as well as familiar favorites, so I’ll provide a position by position breakdown of the likely scenarios and possible additions on the field this season.  I will be breaking up this look at the new team in to four parts: Pitching, Infield, Outfield and Bench.  Seeing as how the Padres’ brightest spot last season was the pitching staff, I think it’s appropriate to start there.

Pitchers

Last season, San Diego boasted one of the most potent pitching attacks in the National League.  The staff notched a collective 3.70 ERA in 2007 which was good enough for 1st among NL clubs.  With their three best starters returning and a cache of capable arms in the bullpen, the Padres figure to repeat their magic on the mound this season.   

1. Jake Peavy, #44, RHP

San Diego’s ace and favorite Alabaman will return for his 7th season as a major league starting pitcher.  Peavy was last year’s recipient of the NL Cy Young Award and won a career high 19 games for the Friars last season.   He also finished last year with a  2.54 ERA and 240 strikeouts, both league-leading numbers.  The 26 year-old southerner will anchor San Diego’s solid starting rotation and figures to continue puzzling batters with his ferocious and fiery style.  The Padres signed Peavy to a whopping $52 million extension in December of 2007 which will keep the power thrower on the mound at Petco through the 2012 season.  Smart move…

2. Chris Young, #32, RHP

At 6′10″, this right-handed Princeton grad is a beast of a pitcher.  Opposing batters must have had a heck of a time trying to spot the release from Young’s wiry frame as he finished 5th in the National League with a 3.12 ERA.  He led the majors with a .192 opponents batting average against and posted a career-high 167 strikeouts.  Young also tends to crank out his best performances at spacious Petco Park where he notched a Major League leading 1.69 home ERA.  The Texas native earned a well-deserved trip to last year’s All-Star game for the first time in his career and looks to add to his already impressive resume this season.

3. Greg Maddux, #30, RHP

What more can be said about the magnificent, 41 year-old hurler?  Entering his 23rd Major League season, Maddux has already posted a stellar, Hall of Fame-worthy career.  Maddux has won  347 starts over the course of a career that has seen him don jerseys for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.  It has been reported that Maddux told teammates and staffers that his 2007 season with the Padres was the most fun he has had in his impressive career.  With that in mind, it was an easy decision for Maddux to return this season and lend his pitching talents and vast experience.  Affectionately known by Padres’ announcer, Ted Leitner, as “The Professor,” Maddux is a fan and clubhouse favorite who will figure to hold down the three-spot in San Diego’s fierce pitching lineup, perfecting the art of pitching down to a science.  And what a scientist he is…between the months of July and September last season, Maddux pitched a remarkable 59.2 consecutive innings without walking a single batter.  The veteran righty will also attempt to build on his 20 consecutive 13-win seasons, one season better than what pitching legend Cy Young recorded, and figures to climb the ranks of all-time career wins leaders, where he currently ranks 9th. 

4. Randy Wolf,  #?, LHP

Here’s where the Padres’ starting lineup enters some uncharted territory.  Randy Wolf is a new addition to the ballclub and the early favorite to fill this spot in the rotation.  Wolf, with the Dodgers last season, had to undergo surgery for the first time in September.  Not surprisingly, Wolf was concerned about how his arm would respond to the surgery.  Luckily, though, the early feedback from Padres Spring Training in Peoria, AZ is all positive.  Manager Bud Black is encouraged by Wolf’s confidence and has said that he likes the way the ball is coming out of his hand.  Wolf attributes his ability to bounce back so quickly to increased strength training in his legs over the winter.  Hopefully, the early optimism holds true as the Padres are looking for the left-handed Wolf to have a breakout season.  Having battled injuries and adversity, Wolf hopes to remain healthy throughout this season and become a real force for the Friars.  After bouncing around the major leagues, let’s hope Wolf makes are mark with the Pad’s and finds his groove.

5. (Up For Grabs)

The five spot in the starting rotation is a question mark heading in to the season.  In the offseason, the Padres picked up Mark Prior and he is expected to fill the spot, eventually.  However, that is contingent upon Prior’s health.  The right-hander has endured various injuries that have hampered his production in recent years.  Talk surrounding Prior, right now, is focused more on where he will undergo his rehabilitation starts.  No one, however, is willing to guess when he’ll be ready to take the mound as a starter for the Friars.  That leaves the last spot in the starting rotation up for grabs to begin the season.  An early favorite could be Justin Germano, who had some very strong performances for the Padres as a starter last year.  Germano started out fast and generated a lot of excitement, beginning the season 5-0 in his first seven starts.  However, opposing batters soon began to make adjustment on the young pitchers and that, coupled with poor run support, led to a decline in the right-handers effectiveness.  If Germano learns to make his own adjustments and learn from the experience of veterans like Greg Maddux, he could find a way to sustain his early success for a longer period and make himself a viable starting option. 

Although there are a couple more possibilities for the fifth spot in the rotation, I’ll save them for discussion in the next part of this series where I’ll discuss the players battling for spots in the bullpen.

Three of the liveliest arms from last season’s pen will return this season.  The sidearmed righty Cla Meredith, the likely setup man Heath Bell, and Hell’s Bells himself, Trever Hoffman.  We’ll discuss them and the rest of the arms competing for bullpen spots in the next installment of Padres Rule.  Until that time…

-Collin Elliott