The Padres have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, and while starting pitching remains a glaring need, it’s not the only one. The lineup, once feared for its explosiveness, has become startlingly tame, and the numbers tell the story. Despite a postseason appearance, the Padres ranked third-to-last in home runs across Major League Baseball in 2025. That kind of power outage simply won’t cut it in a league where slugging often separates contenders from also-rans.
Pitching Isn’t the Only Problem for the Padres
Yes, the Padres retained Michael King, a solid arm who brings experience and reliability, but Dylan Cease’s departure left a crater in the rotation. Still, focusing solely on the mound would be shortsighted. San Diego needs thump in its lineup, badly. In today’s game, where teams live and die by the long ball, being near the bottom of the league in home runs is practically a death sentence in October.
Ozuna May Be Aging, But His Bat Still Has Bite
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer floated a compelling idea: Marcell Ozuna. The 35-year-old slugger is no longer in his prime, but he’s far from washed. Even in a down year, Ozuna still launched 21 home runs. And let’s not forget, this is a guy who has hit 100 homers over the past three seasons. That kind of pop doesn’t just vanish overnight.
Yes, the warning signs are there. His average bat speed dipped by over a mile per hour in 2025, and his hard-hit metrics followed suit. But Rymer points out something crucial: Ozuna’s plate discipline hit a career high. A walk rate of 15.9% and an elite chase rate suggest he’s seeing the ball well, even if he’s not catching quite as much of it. If that foundation remains intact, there’s hope the power could return, even if only partially.
A Short-Term Gamble That Could Pay Off
The Padres are in a bind. They need pitching, yes. But they also need someone who can flip a game with one swing of the bat. If Ozuna can give them even a shadow of his 2023-2024 production, he’d be a risk worth taking, especially on what could be a short-term deal.
In a free agent market that thins out fast, the Padres may not have the luxury of waiting for perfect. Ozuna isn’t a savior, but he could be exactly the kind of imperfect solution the Padres need.
