Padres News: Writer Ranks Friars Pitching Staff as Top 10 in MLB

When the 2023 MLB season started, many believed that the San Diego Padres would be led by their stellar offense. However, the opposite has happened and the Friars have been kept alive by their strong pitching staff while the offense has sputtered and been inconsistent all season.

It has made most in the industry think that if the Padres can keep up the dominant pitching, the offense will eventually catch up.

San Diego has struggled out of the gates and finds themselves sitting 6.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot. The hole they dug for themselves will be tough to climb out of but it’s doable with their arms throwing the way they have been.

Led by All-Star snubs Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove, All-Star Josh Hader and others, the Padres have earned the respect of baseball for their pitching. They’ve been so good this season that they landed on a top-10 midseason pitching staff list. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed the Padres at No. 9 on the list and that seems about right for the team.

"Even deadlier as of late has been Blake Snell, posting a 0.64 ERA in seven starts dating back to Memorial Day. In his 11 starts made between May and June, the impending free agent southpaw posted nine quality starts"

Per Bleacher Report

Yu Darvish has missed time this season due to an illness but he still can give them a quality start, as well. The team's offseason additions of Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo have also panned out so far. Wacha has an ERA of 2.84 for the season and a 1.07 WHIP. Since April, Wacha has an ERA of 1.19 in his last 10 starts.

Lugo has transitioned nicely over to a starting role after spending most of his career as a relief pitcher. He holds an ERA of 3.39 and a 1.24 WHIP. If he can continue this production, he will be one of the best gets from the offseason.

As a whole, the team owns an ERA of 3.83 and they just keep chugging along. The hope is that the offense will catch up and give them some support. Then the team could finally look like the squad that we all expected.