Padres' Under-The-Radar Addition Credits Hitting Coaches for Surprise Breakout

The San Diego Padres had a relatively quiet offseason.

Aside from retaining Michael King with a three-year, $75 million deal, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller opted to bolster the roster with several cost-efficient veteran signings.

One of those signings was Ty France's minor league contract, which included a non-roster invite to big league camp this spring.

France joined the Padres with no guarantee he would make the Opening Day roster, but a strong spring performance earned him a spot.

The Padres added France to the active roster as a bench player, who could get playing time at first base. The Gold Glover was given the chance more so for his defensive capabilities rather than his bat.

Heading into the summer months, France actually owns the best mark of any Padre hitter with an OPS of .852. He's also hitting .289 across 90 at-bats this season.

France's breakout at the plate this year isn't random, but a result of a grueling two-year process that saw him rediscover his swing. The infielder spent the last two seasons with four different teams, which certainly isn't easy for a hitter trying to find his swing.

In 2026, France has found the answer, and he heaped high praise on the Padres coaching staff for helping him do so.

“I feel like myself again at the plate, which is comforting,” France said to MLB.com. “There was a good two-year stretch where I was searching for my swing. I feel like I’m in a really good spot now. [Hitting coach Steven] Souza and the guys have done a great job with me.

“And being home on top of it — that just adds a little cherry on top.”

His success with San Diego is a long time coming as France was drafted by the Padres in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. The infielder made his MLB debut as a Friar in 2019, but was traded to the Seattle Mariners the season after.

Six years later, France is back with the team that drafted him — and it couldn't be unfolding into a better season for the 31-year-old. The Padres are nine games above .500, which is hard to fathom given the struggles of their top three hitters and injuries to the starting rotation.

But France is obviously one player to thank for the Padres' success in 2026.

France's performance is a testament to his hard work, but Preller's contributions shouldn't be overshadowed. The Padres president of baseball operations took a chance on the infielder, and the budget-friendly deal has worked out splendidly for both parties.

France isn't the only veteran signing to help the Padres this season. Miguel Andujar was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal and has also been one of the team's top hitters.

Nick Castellanos, Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez, Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito are other veteran signings that are making an impact in San Diego this season.

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