San Diego Padres: Let's Talk About Something Good

Things have turned south for the San Diego Padres fairly quickly. From underachieving in 2015 to hearing negative remarks from one of their owners, there is not much reason to be excited in San Diego. But that doesn’t mean that everything is all bad.

There has not been much reason for Padres to get excited over the first couple months of the season. The team has had multiple struggling players, injuries and has already started to sell over a month out from the trade deadline. However, outfielder Wil Myers has provided some relief for the Friars and their fans.

The Padres acquired the 25-year-old from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for top prospects Trea Turner and Joe Ross in a three-team trade last offseason. While last season may have proved difficult for Myers, he looks to have turned the corner in 2016.

Myers has raised his batting average from just over .250 last year to around .290 to start this season. The former third round pick also has seems to be making strides in terms of his power potential at the plate. Right now, Myers has hit 13 home runs in 62 games. This matches his career high for homers in a season that he hit three years ago as a rookie.

Also, the fact that he is putting up these kind of power numbers in a stadium like Petco Park, where the walls are further back than most other venues, adds even more intrigue to Myers’ growth as a player.

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Before acquiring the outfielder from Tampa Bay, Myers was lauded as one of the better prospects in baseball. In 2012, he was ranked as the third best prospect in the game by MLB.com and he did not disappoint when he made his long anticipated debut. As a rookie, he hit an impressive .293, while getting on-base at a very solid rate of .354. These numbers helped Myers become the AL Rookie of the Year and put him on the map as one of the future stars of the American League. However, things changed quickly for him in 2014.

In his second year in the league, Myers only was able to play for about half the season and his numbers dropped mightily. He just did not seem like the same player that people were excited about regarding his potential the year before. This led to the Rays dealing him, even though he was just 23 years old and still on an affordable contract.

However, the Padres were quick to snatch the young outfielder up and saw him as a bat that they could build their lineup around, and we are finally starting to see that potential come to fruition.

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After a positional switch from the outfield to first base, Myers is now swinging with much more confidence and is clearly maturing into his body. He still has elite bat speed and is able to hit balls all over the field. The growth of his power game is exciting as well. The Padres also don’t have a very productive lineup, so him putting up these numbers without much protection around is something that cannot be overlooked.

While both Trea Turner and Joe Ross look to have bright futures in Washington, that deal for the Padres is not looking as one sided with the way Myers is playing to start the season. After a couple years of regression, he is back on track to becoming the potential middle of the order bat that he was lauded to be coming into the major leagues.

San Diego is in desperate need for building blocks and while it looks like they will be out of contention for the near future, having young players like Myers performing at a high level is encouraging, and the real encouraging thing is that he still has room to grow.

Next: Mets Considering Harvey Trade?

Myers has the ability to be one of the better all-around hitters in baseball and even though this season has been a disaster for San Diego, the young first baseman is giving Padres fans a reason to continue to tune in.

What do you think Myers’ ceiling is? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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San Diego Padres: Let’s Talk About Something Good for a Change

By Greg Goldstein | Jun 13, 2016

Things have turned south for the San Diego Padres fairly quickly. From underachieving in 2015 to hearing negative remarks from one of their owners, there is not much reason to be excited in San Diego. But that doesn’t mean that everything is all bad.

More from Call to the Pen