Padres Representation Strong in ESPN's 2023 Player Rankings

San Diego Padres fans have known for a while the type of talent that is going to be hitting the field for us this coming season. Through watching them at Spring Training, getting a first look at some of them in the WBC, and seeing numerous hype videos, the Gaslamp community is well-aware just how legit these guys are.

However, it appears that the rest of the MLB world is also giving Peter Seidler his flowers and recognizing where his guys stand amongst the best players in the league. ESPN released their latest rankings for the upcoming 2023 season and six players from the Padres cracked the top 100 with two making it to the top ten.

ESPN just ranked the top 100 players in MLB.

Here's where the Padres rank...

4. Manny Machado

6. Juan Soto

25. Fernando Tatis Jr.

28. Xander Bogaerts

78. Joe Musgrove

80. Yu Darvish
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) March 23, 2023

Manny Machado should certainly come as no surprise at number four on this list. Considering the MVP-level status he was performing at in 2022, many have argued his name up there with the most elite players in the league.

ESPN's Jeff Passan touched on exactly why they placed the 30-year-old superstar right there.

"His defense isn't as off-the-charts as it once was, but he remains an excellent defender with the arm and speed to suggest he's not going to have to move off the hot corner any time soon, said Passan. "Also, Machado's sprint speed has remained largely unchanged and, over the past two seasons, he has stolen 21 bags in 25 attempts. Thus, the new rules could portend a career season on the basepaths for him."

Coming at number six, Juan Soto firmly takes the spot as he looks to have a huge season with the brown and gold. Soto's resume was clear as day when the Friars traded for him and I believe he'll show everybody why it was the right decision. His numbers were looking great in Spring Training and the WBC and it should carry on.

If this was 2021, Fernando Tatis Jr. would definitely be in the top ten. However, he has not played much since then and MLB analysts need to see more out of him before giving him his previous titles back. Spring Training has also been a place for him to get his groove back and, despite some initial rust, he's connecting on hits again and making plays in the outfield.

Fernando Tatis Jr. hits his first homer of the spring!

📹https://t.co/7HGNh2C4ue pic.twitter.com/5aRsAnQWsG
— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) March 18, 2023

Despite being one of the better shortstops in the league last year, ESPN primarily put Xander Bogaerts at number 28 on their list since they believe a smaller role in 2023 will cause his numbers to drop. However, I believe he's going to maximize his situation and build off of a season that saw him hit .307/.377/.456.

Finally, San Diego's two most important pitchers Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish came in at number 78 and 80 respectively. In an offseason that saw of the Padres' mound power leave to other teams, the Friars opted to pay these two RHP's in hopes of a championship run.