Padres Striking Fear in Opponents Ahead of 2026 Postseason

The Friars are in a great spot to make a deep postseason run this October.

Sep 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres players acknowledge the fans after the Padres beat the Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

October is here for the San Diego Padres.

The Friars will host the Chicago Cubs for what should be an epic best-of-three National League wild-card series.

San Diego hopes they can get 13 wins this October to hoist what would be their first-ever Commissioner's Trophy.

The Padres have as good a chance as any team to make that happen, especially considering they enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the league.

The Padres have won 17 of their last 20 games heading into October.

As for why they can win the World Series, ESPN's Jeff Passan said the Padres are firing on all cylinders, with their stars playing up to par and then some.

"Their stars are playing like stars, and their bullpen is as deep and nasty as any," Passan wrote. "And with Nick Pivetta back and carving and Michael King one of the most consistent starters in the game, they've got the goods to capture the franchise's first championship. Of course, that depends on Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill continuing their second-half surges. They are the alpha and omega of the Padres, and though everyone in between has improved, from Ty France to Manny Machado to Xander Bogaerts, they can't rely exclusively on the home run.

"The Padres run well, and they'll need to. The Padres field well, and they'll need to do that, too. Teams are scared to play San Diego, and with good reason."

Padres Begin Hopeful World Series Run on Tuesday

While winning the World Series is the goal for the Padres, it all starts on Tuesday against the Cubs.

This series is projected to be one of the better ones in the wild-card series. The Padres and Cubs met in last year's wild-card series, but the three-game series was in Chicago.

The Cubs came out on top in that one, winning in three games.

The Padres will look for their revenge in this matchup, and they have a great chance to do so.

San Diego will send out its ace, Michael King, for Game 1. King has been one of the hottest pitchers lately and by far the Padres' most reliable starter.

King finished the regular season as a vital anchor for the Padres rotation and will look to continue that play into October.

The Padres certainly have the talent to get the job done, but now they have to prove it on the field with a difficult road ahead.

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