Padres Manager Had Conversation With Freddy Fermin That Led to Sudden Breakout

The Padres offense has been much stronger since Freddy Fermin's recent breakout.

Jun 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Freddy Fermin (54) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres' offense has been one of the worst groups in the entire league for much of the 2026 season.

Multiple guys throughout the Padres lineup have struggled to find any sort of consistency from game to game, and it's hurt the overall production.

One of these guys is catcher Freddy Fermin, who's had an abysmal season to this point. On the year, Fermin has hit .161 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in, while putting up an OPS of .536. Just a few days, though, his OPS was below .400.

Over the last couple of games, his bat has suddenly got going. Fermin has five hits and three home runs over his last three games, with the Padres winning two of the three contests.

“We’re talking with all these guys and trying to build them up,” Stammen said. “You wonder what comes first. Does success come first and then confidence, or can confidence come first and then that leads to success? Nobody really knows the complete answer to that, but we’re trying to breathe that confidence in all these guys."

Fermin has been relied upon even more after an injury to starting catcher Luis Campusano (toe). His recent outbreak has been a major surprise for the Padres, who desperately needed more production from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.

"We’ve had opportunities to sit down with Freddy individually and tell him he’s our starting catcher and that we believe in him, and we know this first couple months is not who he is offensively. He’s crushing it on defense. And, you know, maybe that gave him some confidence," Stammen said.

Fermin has been very appreciative of Stammen and the Padres organization for helping him navigate the offensive problems this year.

“Craig has been very supportive through all of this,” Fermin said. “We’ve had a lot of conversations. Most of all, he’s been giving me the confidence knowing I can do this [and] I am the catcher of this team.”

The veteran catcher was acquired by the Padres at the deadline last season and he was expected to be the starting catcher for the next few years. However, his struggles have led to some concern regarding the team's future at the catcher position.

Fermin has talent — and has been great defensively — and having the support from Stammen has clearly helped him figure it out at the plate.

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