Insider Boldly Predicts Padres Pitcher Joins Elite Company in 2025

The San Diego Padres are off to a hot start in 2025 and are looking to keep this going all season long.

On their quest to have not just a successful regular season, but a deep October run, a top MLB publication picked one of the many talented Padres pitchers to have a historic campaign.

More news: Padres' AJ Preller Discusses Jackson Merrill Contract Extension Conversations

Opening Day featured a slightly concerning start from ace Michael King.

As Yu Darvish, the presumed starter for Day 1, has no timeline to return from his elbow inflammation, King got the nod. Over just 2.2 innings, the right-hander allowed four hits, three runs, and four walks as the bullpen held it down in his absence and a four-run seventh inning sealed the victory.

Despite this less than ideal start, ESPN predicted that King is going to join Friars' royalty this season.

Although there have only ever been three 20-game winners in Padres' franchise history — Randy Jones twice and Gaylord Perry — ESPN foresees King becoming the fourth.

More news: Padres Trying to Trade Outfielder This Week, Says AJ Preller

This prediction is mostly due to what King did in the back half of 2024. He had a 2.03 ERA in his last 14 starts adding 92 strikeouts to just 25 walks in those 80 innings.

Having a pitcher in the Cy Young conversation, where King finished seventh last year, would surely be helpful given the big-name rotation.

Fellow starter Dylan Cease — earned a fourth place finish in Cy Young voting last year — and newly-acquired Nick Pivetta are set to have an improved 2025.

Although it wasn't exactly the start King would have liked to begin the new season with, there were still three strikeouts over 2.2 innings to look back on positively, albeit a brief plus one. The two wild pitches on Opening Day are already more than he threw in the entirety of 2024 and the most he's thrown in a season since 2021.

There is still work to do, but luckily for King, it is a long season. All the Padres can do now is prepare for the next game and have their ace look towards the next start.

More news: Padres' $340 Million Superstar Predicted to Beat Out Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani for MVP

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.