SAN DIEGO — Scorching in the spring, then mediocre for most of the summer, the Padres have entered the fall with their World Series dreams still alive. They clinched a postseason berth Monday with a 5-4 extra-innings walk-off win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Padres, for only the second time in franchise history, will compete in the playoffs for a second consecutive year. And almost two decades after the 2005 and 2006 teams fell in the National League Division Series, they will attempt to avoid a repeat of history.
They will first have to survive the wild-card round, a challenge that could have been prevented with a moderately better performance. It was less than eight weeks ago that the Padres addressed a sagging roster with five deals on a wild trade deadline day. They won 14 of their next 21 games, a stretch that ended with San Diego in rare second-half territory: alone atop the National League West.
Despite the ease of their recent schedule, the Padres have since gone 12-15 to all but extinguish their hopes of securing a division crown and home-field advantage. They are likely headed for a best-of-three series at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. (At 86-71, the Padres need one more win or one more Cincinnati Reds loss to guarantee they will finish no lower than fifth in National League playoff seeding.)
For the 4th time in the last 6 seasons, the @Padres are headed to the #Postseason! #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/lH8LS62ahR
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2025
Meanwhile, there is no guarantee of even one home playoff game. The Padres have excelled at Petco Park, where they are 48-28 amid another season of record attendance, but they have struggled in most other locations. They won only one regular-season road series against a playoff-caliber opponent, and that was in Milwaukee in early June, before the Brewers began their unexpected surge into first place.
Lately, San Diego’s primary obstacle has been starting pitching; aside from Nick Pivetta, the Padres do not seem to have anyone in their rotation they can trust. An offense that ranks 29th in home runs is a close second. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts returned from a foot fracture in Monday’s game, but a season-ending injury to All-Star reliever Jason Adam has put more pressure on the pitching staff and, by extension, the rest of the roster.
Still, the Padres might not be an easy out. The bullpen, which added flamethrower Mason Miller before losing Adam, remains uniquely equipped to shorten October games. Franchise cornerstones Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill have each hit at least five home runs this month. The Padres continue to hope that Opening Day starter Michael King, sidelined for most of the summer, will regain his command. They can feel decent about potentially giving the ball to Pivetta in their postseason opener; signed to a free-agent deal in spring training, the veteran right-hander has earned down-ballot Cy Young consideration.
Among playoff teams, San Diego might have the largest gap between floor and ceiling. The Padres opened the season by winning 14 of their first 17 games. In late July, ahead of an invigorating trade deadline, they embarked on another 14-3 run. Without those two stretches, their record would be 58-65.
For inspiration, the Padres can look to the most successful team in franchise history. After a 90-49 start, the 1998 club lost 15 of its final 23 regular-season games. Those Padres proceeded to reignite, winning a pair of playoff series before being swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series.
With the postseason field since expanded, these Padres face a longer, possibly steeper road as they seek a return to the sport’s biggest stage. But now, they will at least get the opportunity. The rest is up to them.
(Photo: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)