San Diego Padres: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the San Diego Padres set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatis led off 150 times for San Diego in 2025, and the Padres used 122 different batting orders, fifth fewest in the league. They faced a left-handed starter in 49 games, more than any other club, and kept a relatively left-handed lineup against them: 3.2 left-handed hitters per game against left-handers, fourth most, and 4.27 against right-handers.
The clearest platoon-style split was Jose Iglesias, who started 82% of games against left-handers and 36% against right-handers. Gavin Sheets started 90% against right-handers and 57% against left-handers and was the most frequent DH (59 starts). Catcher and left field were the open spots: Elias Diaz led the catchers with 68 starts. Dylan Cease (32 starts) and Nick Pivetta (31) led the rotation.
Where the San Diego Padres ranked in 2025
| San Diego Padres | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 90 | 81.0 | T-7 |
| Different batting orders | 122 | 135.9 | 26 |
| Same order as previous game | 8.7% | 4.8% | 5 |
| Most uses of one order | 5 | 4.8 | T-8 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 93% | 75% | 3 |
| Players in the lineup | 24 | 24.4 | T-14 |
| Games vs LHP | 49 | 42.6 | 1 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 4.3 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 3.2 | 2.0 | 4 |
| Starting pitchers | 14 | 13.2 | 15 |
| Top-five starters' share | 73% | 76% | T-17 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 34% | 31% | 9 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 7% | 5% | 7 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 42% | 58% | 26 |
| Players at DH | 13 | 10.7 | T-9 |
| Top DH's share | 36% | 51% | 21 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 82–80 | 115 / 47 | 123 | 26 | 13 |
| 2024 | 93–69 | 116 / 46 | 103 | 23 | 8 |
| 2025 | 90–72 | 113 / 49 | 122 | 24 | 14 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Gary Sanchez (56) | Kyle Higashioka (77) | Elias Diaz (68) |
| 1B | Jake Cronenworth (94) | Jake Cronenworth (80) | Luis Arraez (112) |
| 2B | Ha-Seong Kim (98) | Xander Bogaerts (85) | Jake Cronenworth (111) |
| 3B | Manny Machado (105) | Manny Machado (100) | Manny Machado (145) |
| SS | Xander Bogaerts (146) | Ha-Seong Kim (119) | Xander Bogaerts (125) |
| LF | Juan Soto (154) | Jurickson Profar (148) | Gavin Sheets (60) |
| CF | Trent Grisham (142) | Jackson Merrill (148) | Jackson Merrill (114) |
| RF | Fernando Tatis (134) | Fernando Tatis (95) | Fernando Tatis (153) |
| DH | Matt Carpenter (48) | Manny Machado (51) | Gavin Sheets (59) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 30 | 19–11 | 9 | 24 | 5 | – |
| May | 26 | 13–13 | 8 | 23 | 7 | Luis Campusano |
| June | 28 | 13–15 | 10 | 23 | 6 | Bryce Johnson, Trenton Brooks |
| July | 25 | 15–10 | 9 | 19 | 7 | none |
| August | 28 | 16–12 | 6 | 17 | 9 | Freddy Fermin, Ramon Laureano, Ryan O'Hearn |
| September | 25 | 14–11 | 7 | 20 | 7 | none |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Fernando Tatis (150); 2. Luis Arraez (130); 3. Manny Machado (150); 4. Jackson Merrill (63); 5. Xander Bogaerts (72); 6. Gavin Sheets (41); 7. Jake Cronenworth (57); 8. Jake Cronenworth (49); 9. Martin Maldonado (56).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Martin Maldonado (56) | 3 | 59% |
| 1B | Ryan O'Hearn (25) | 6 | 40% |
| 2B | Jose Iglesias (34) | 5 | 29% |
| 3B | Jose Iglesias (17) | 2 | 21% |
| SS | Jose Iglesias (24) | 4 | 24% |
| LF | Ramon Laureano (33) | 9 | 39% |
| CF | Tyler Wade (16) | 7 | 16% |
| RF | Ramon Laureano (3) | 6 | 9% |
| DH | Luis Arraez (28) | 13 | 71% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 4.3 | 4.7 | 0.1 |
| Left-handed | 3.2 | 5.6 | 0.2 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Iglesias | right-handed | 36% (41) | 82% (40) |
| Gavin Sheets | left-handed | 90% (102) | 57% (28) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Cease | RHP | 32 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 12 |
| Nick Pivetta | RHP | 31 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 22, 2025 | 5 | 11 |
| Randy Vasquez | RHP | 26 | March 29, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 9 |
| Michael King | RHP | 15 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Yu Darvish | RHP | 15 | July 7, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 4 |
| Stephen Kolek | RHP | 14 | May 4, 2025 | July 27, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| Ryan Bergert | RHP | 7 | June 3, 2025 | July 29, 2025 | 4 | 3 |
| Kyle Hart | LHP | 6 | March 31, 2025 | May 28, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | San Diego Padres | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 34% | 31% |
| 5 days | 47% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 11% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 7% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 42% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 42 | 38% | 44% |
| All other games | 120 | 43% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Gavin Sheets | 59 | 36% |
| Luis Arraez | 28 | 17% |
| Ryan O'Hearn | 16 | 10% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used 5 times, more than the club average of 4.8.
Lineup 1 (5 times, last on Aug. 26, 2025): 1. Fernando Tatis RF, 2. Luis Arraez DH, 3. Manny Machado 3B, 4. Ryan O'Hearn 1B, 5. Xander Bogaerts SS, 6. Gavin Sheets LF, 7. Ramon Laureano CF, 8. Jake Cronenworth 2B, 9. Freddy Fermin C.
Lineup 2 (4 times, last on June 10, 2025): 1. Fernando Tatis RF, 2. Luis Arraez 1B, 3. Manny Machado 3B, 4. Jackson Merrill CF, 5. Gavin Sheets DH, 6. Xander Bogaerts SS, 7. Jake Cronenworth 2B, 8. Tyler Wade LF, 9. Martin Maldonado C.
Lineup 3 (4 times, last on Aug. 17, 2025): 1. Fernando Tatis RF, 2. Luis Arraez DH, 3. Manny Machado 3B, 4. Jackson Merrill CF, 5. Xander Bogaerts SS, 6. Ryan O'Hearn 1B, 7. Ramon Laureano LF, 8. Jake Cronenworth 2B, 9. Freddy Fermin C.
Top nine vs RHP (7/113): Fernando Tatis, Freddy Fermin, Gavin Sheets, Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Manny Machado, Ramon Laureano, Ryan O'Hearn.
Top nine vs LHP (5/49): Fernando Tatis, Gavin Sheets, Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Jose Iglesias, Luis Arraez, Manny Machado, Martin Maldonado, Xander Bogaerts.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.