MLB Insider Predicts Padres to Steal NL West Crown Over Dodgers

Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres third base Manny Machado (13) celebrates with outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) after a two-run home run during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have recently been predicted to win the National League West division.

The Friars are currently one game back from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and are firmly positioned in a Wild Card spot with a three-game advantage of the No. 6 seed New York Mets. The question hasn't been if the Padres will play in October for quite some time — but with a divisional deficit that was nine games at the start of July trimmed down to just one, the NL West crown doesn't seem too far fetched.

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ESPN's Tim Keown predicted that the Padres would wind up with the division mostly due to their schedule.

"The Padres, with the easiest remaining schedule in baseball, will go 7-0 against the Colorado Rockies in September to win the NL West and take the second first-round bye spot."

With a loss to Colorado on Friday, the fifth of a brutal five-game losing skid, Keown's prediction isn't completely true anymore. But the Friars seemed to get things back on track, finishing out the last two games of the series outscoring the Rockies, 18-9.

The Padres not only play the 40-win Rockies four more times this month, but will also head to Chicago for three games to play the 55-win White Sox. According to FanGraphs, the Padres are projected to go 9-9 for the remainder of the season.

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There are also three-game sets against the Mets and Milwaukee Brewers this month, which will be a test for any team. But all the Padres can focus on right now is the current series.

As for the team currently in the top spot in the division, the Dodgers, FanGraphs projects them to go 10-8 to close out the season. LA started a three-game set with the Rockies on Monday, will travel to play the San Francisco Giants for three games, and then come home to take on the Philadelphia Phillies and play another four games against San Francisco right after.

Although the only thing that the Padres can control is their own destiny, there appears to be a more difficult road to October in Los Angeles than San Diego, which bodes well for the Friars' chances.

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