Here we are four weeks into the fantasy baseball season. When looking at the San Diego Padres in spring training, it was easy to be excited about their prospects, both in real and fantasy baseball. There seemed to be an All-Star at every position. Their hitters were expected to go in all of the higher rounds in fantasy drafts, regardless of format. However, almost all of the Padre hitters are struggling mightily at the plate at the moment. Which brings up the question: what to do about it? No need to fear as this fantasy baseball Padres panic edition is here to help.

Note: This article was started before San Diego went down to Mexico City. The Padres exploded for 16 runs Saturday against the Giants. Was that an outlier because of the high elevation or a sign of things to come? I believe the location had more to do with all of the hits than their bats, but we shall see.

Juan Soto, Outfield

Without question, fantasy managers that drafted Juan Soto over the past two years have to be very frustrated. Here was one of the most exciting players in all of baseball. However, he simply hasn’t lived up to that billing for quite some time now. When Soto was traded from Washington to San Diego before last year’s trade deadline, everyone expected him to prove he was the best player, period.

Alas, that didn’t happen, as Soto hit just .236-6-16 in 52 games. He continued to walk a lot, but the rest of his game was silent. Coming into this season, most figured he would excel with a stress-free environment. Additionally, he had some big bats surrounding him in the lineup. Managers responded by drafting Soto in the first round. Often, that was in the top five and as high as second overall.

Unfortunately, Soto’s game has been frozen solid to this point. He did have three hits, including a homer, in the two-game series against the Giants. Even so, the two RBIs were the only two he had in his last seven days while hitting a weak .222. That would be considered a high point for Soto so far in 2023. He is hitting just .202-5-11 on the year with only a single stolen base to his name. He leads the league in walks, but that can only carry a player so far, even in points leagues.

Soto Conclusion

If the hits don’t carry over for Soto from Mexico, his managers can start to feel really panicky very soon. The issue is that if he doesn’t pick up his game shortly, no one is going to offer anything remotely close to the capital that was required to draft him. The conclusion must be that unless an owner can somehow convince a fellow league manager that Soto is still an All-Star caliber player, he will remain on the roster.

Fernando Tatis, Shortstop/Outfield

Of course, everyone is fully aware of the soap opera that surrounded Fernando Tatis Jr. There is no reason to bring up what happened last year, so let’s move on to the present. After serving the final 20 games of his 80-game suspension, Tatis made his season debut April 20 against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. It was a bleak beginning by any standard, as Tatis went 0-5 with two strikeouts.

However, the sun has been shining brightly on Tatis. He has a hit in each of the eight games he has played since then. He has driven in five of his six RBIs in the last week, while batting a robust .348. Further, he has two hits in three of his last four games. He was heating up even before the plane left for Mexico City.

Tatis Conclusion

For certain, no one knew what to expect out of Tatis this season. Those that drafted him were well aware of the risks he posed. Several fantasy managers patiently placed him on the roster while he was suspended. Those that did so are about to be rewarded with a top ten level player. His value is even higher this season, given that he has both shortstop and outfield eligibility. Thus, this fantasy baseball Padre panic meter is zero right now.

Manny Machado, Third Base

Entering fantasy drafts, there was much talk about how Manny Machado was the second best third baseman in the game. It certainly made sense for managers to go and get him at the top of the second round. That’s exactly what I did. Third base was and is a shallow position this year and waiting on one was not a recommended draft strategy. After all, Machado came into 2023 having driven in over a 100 runs two straight seasons. Further, Machado has 30 or more homers sixth times in his career.

Before heading to Mexico City, Machado was mostly known for complaining about the new rules in baseball. He had to come up with an excuse as his bat was made out of spaghetti. Before finishing the Cubs series with three hits, including a homer, Machado was mired in a 5-36 slump. Even worse, he had a single RBI and a lone run scored. Certainly not what was expected from him.

Machado and Mexico

On Saturday, Machado demonstrated what he is capable of, going 3-4 with two homers, three RBIs and four runs scored. He even threw in a stolen base, his second of the season. That kind of a performance resulted in 20 fantasy points. Those points are almost half of his entire season total (41). That just goes to show what kind of deep slumber he has been in for the majority of this season.

Alas, Sunday came, and Machado also demonstrated what he is capable of: strikeouts. He came to the plate four times, and he struck out in all four. Of top of everything else, he doesn’t walk much with only seven in 110 at-bats. Hopefully, he can carry Saturday with him going forward and forget Sunday.

If not, the fantasy baseball Padres panic meter on him will be over the moon in short order. Much like Soto, the trade market for Machado will likely be soft. The recommendation on him has to be to keep calm and hold.

Jake Cronenworth, Second Base/First Base

Of course, when it comes to the players discussed on this fantasy baseball Padres panic edition, Jake Cronenworth is a tier below the others. Even so, he is a firmly established major leaguer. He has made the last two All-Star teams and finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2020. Last season, he could drive in and score runs, as he finished with 88 in both categories.

Just like those listed above, Cronenworth’s bat has been cold much of the season. At present, he is hitting a below zero .220-3-14. He also has 15 runs. Further, his slash line is a less than impressive .298/.430/.728. Of course, the Padres expected more out of a player hitting fifth in their stacked lineup in 2023.

A look at his last few games reveals a player that might be thawing out, however. Cronenworth has a hit in six of the nine games leading up to the series with the Giants down south. Included in that total are four doubles and two triples. Additionally, he drove in two runs twice in a three-game span this week. Like many of his teammates, Cronenworth left Mexico with a live bat. He had three hits in the two games with an RBI and two runs scored.

Cronenworth Conclusion

He has been extremely unfortunate so far in 2023. His BAbip right now is well below what it was a year ago (246-.275). Both statistics are a long way away from the BAbip he had in 2020: .324. His SO% and BB% are similar to his totals in 2022. When I began my research into Cronenworth, I anticipated a conclusion that the time for patience had run out. Managers needed to get ready to cut him loose in smaller leagues.

Having looked into him, though, I have to say that it seems he’s about to heat up. It would be foolish to ignore his multi position eligibility. With that in mind, a fantasy manager would do well to keep him on the roster for the time being.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball Padres panic edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news! The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show will have a live fantasy draft this coming Sunday night at 8 eastern. Make sure to tune in!