Inside The Padres

Padres Ahead of Dodgers in Latest MLB Power Rankings

Nelson Espinal|
Apr 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Apr 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are among the hottest teams in baseball during the first few weeks of the season.

According to Newsweek's latest baseball power rankings, the Padres are in the top spot, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom many picked to challenge for the regular season wins record.

The rest of the top four was filled out by other NL West teams, the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

More news: Padres Linked to Free Agent Pitcher in Potential Savvy Signing

The Dodgers are likely the favorites to win the World Series, considering the strength of their roster and the fact that they are preparing for a long run into October.

Despite this, it's remarkably impressive that the Padres are competing with a genuine superteam so early in the season. This is especially true given that superstar Jackson Merrill has missed a considerable portion of the season so far, and Yu Darvish has not yet started pitching for the team.

More news: Jackson Merrill's Contract Extension Could Save Padres 'Hundreds of Millions' of Dollars

There is still the trade deadline for San Diego to retool if necessary, but the roster already has plenty of depth.

The team has one of the best performing pitching staffs so far this year, and Fernando Tatis Jr. is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate as well.

More news: Padres Insider Reveals Timeline for Potential Yu Darvish Return

The Padres are impressively leading the National League in the first few weeks of the season, and if the team can maintain this level, an NLCS spot could be in their future, along with a ticket to the World Series.

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

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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