Can Padres Offense Continue Their Hot Streak Into October?

The San Diego Padres are the hottest team in baseball . Despite their loss in the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, the Friars have still won 12 of their last 14 games in what has been an incredible stretch of baseball. Much, if not all, of that is due to the Padres offense. Prior to their game against the Dodgers, San Diego was averaging an insane 7.3 runs per game in their previous 11 games (since September 9).

Entering play on Wednesday, the Friars are now tied with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies for the top NL Wild Card spot . The main question, however, is whether or not the Padres can continue to produce into October.

Can Padres Offense Continue Their Hot Streak Into October?

Back in 2024, the Padres seemed to be the team to beat. It may not have felt that way for much of the regular season, but they went on a tear in the second half. San Diego reeled off a ludicrous 16 wins in their final 24 games to clinch a playoff berth and secure consecutive 90-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Friars immediately swept the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card round with two commanding wins before turning to face Los Angeles in the NLDS.

The Dodgers got off to a good start, tagging starter Dylan Cease for five runs to win Game One. But the Padres immediately answered back, winning the next two games and putting L.A. on the ropes. They played Game Four in Petco Park, and San Diego had the edge. They needed just one more win. But they couldn't do it. Not only that, but the Friars failed to score for 24 consecutive innings. It was a pitiful showing from the offense, with the club falling 2-0 in the final game.

It was a similar story in 2025, with San Diego playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Neither team scored more than three runs in the series, and no more than four combined runs were scored in all three games. The Padres offense simply failed them in both events. That question permeates the discussion of any possible success this October.

One of the few things that's different about this Padres offense is their lineup being much more sturdy. The offense, top to bottom, looks steadier in a way that it has not in years past. During their playoff series in 2024 and '25, the Friars got virtually no production from the bottom of their lineup. San Diego has new contributors this season that help fill out that area in a big way.

For one thing, Ty France has had a monster season with the Padres. He's buoyed the lineup incredibly, batting .299 with 21 homers. France is usually batting cleanup for the Friars. Dustin Harris , on the other hand, has been a newer addition . Since joining San Diego (23 games), Harris has batted .338/.368/.437 and is now hitting second behind Fernando Tatis Jr. Both of them, along with others like breakout catcher Luis Campusano , Gavin Sheets and Samad Taylor , could be huge for the Padres offense this time around.

The other major problem for San Diego has been a lack of star power from their bigger names. Except Tatis, Xander Bogaerts , Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill struggled in the playoffs. The trio combined to go 23-for-107 (.215) between both 2024 and '25. Tatis, meanwhile, has gone a blistering 12-for-38 (.316). Though most of that came in 2024 when Tatis hit .423 with a 1.500 OPS across seven games.

That being said, the stars have been out lately for San Diego. Bogaerts is slashing .315/.393/.481 over his last 15 games. Despite a dip in his batting average, Machado is on the verge of his first 30-homer season since 2023. Merrill is batting .305 with 16 homers , and Tatis has hit 20 home runs since the All-Star break. If those four are clicking when the lights are brightest, the Padres won't need much else.

Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images