Padres' Joe Musgrove Receives Bold Prediction for 2026 Season

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove received a bold prediction ahead of the 2026 season.

The campaign will be the first since Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery and there's no certainty the right-hander will be the same pitcher he once was.

However, ESPN's Eric Karabell predicts Musgrove to serve as the anchor of the Padres rotation in 2026.

"RHP Joe Musgrove, back from Tommy John surgery, leads the starters with a 3.30 ERA," Karabell writes.

The Padres have full confidence in Musgrove's abilities, despite coming off of Tommy John surgery.

Manager Craig Stammen even said he believes the 33-year-old can emerge as the best pitcher in the National League, a huge compliment given Pittsburgh Pirates' Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers are also in the NL.

“Joe’s capable of being the best pitcher in the National League,” Stammen said. “I think the way that he puts work in and the attention to detail — you know, we’ve seen other pitchers come back from Tommy John and have spectacular seasons, so I’m not going to put that past Joe.

“Now, is that, like, a 100 percent chance that’s going to happen? No. But I know we’re going to get a very good version of Joe Musgrove.”

Joe Musgrove Takes Big Step in Recovery From Tommy John

Musgrove is certainly headed in the right direction as he took the mound this past week for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Padres faced Great Britain in an exhibition game, where Musgrove tossed two-plus innings, allowing a run on five hits while striking out three.

While there are already big expectations for the right-hander in 2026, he's just taking it one step at a time.

“To me, this is another step,” Musgrove said following Wednesday's outing. “I think getting in a big league game, facing big league hitters in the big stadium, night game, things like that will be another adjustment. For me, this was just: I’m still checking boxes and building up.”

Musgrove wasn't lights out against Great Britain, but he certainly showed flashes of brilliance as the Padres eagerly watch his return to the bump.

“I liked the shapes of my stuff,” Musgrove said. “Just command-wise, a little bit off from where I need to be.”

Musgrove last pitched for the Padres in 2024, but it's been 17 months and the team has sorely missed his commanding presence.

“It’s more what he means to the entire team, just who he is as a person, how he represents the city of San Diego, how he represents the Padres,” Stammen said. “He is who we want to be like, who we want to be about.”

The Padres, as always, have high hopes for the 2026 season. If Musgrove can be a productive starter, the Friars have a much better chance of going far.

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