The San Diego Padres are coming off a season where they made the postseason for the fourth time in the last six seasons. However, they were bested by the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card round.
One thing that San Diego excelled at last season was their bullpen. They finished the regular season with a 3.08 ERA, the lowest across Major League Baseball.
Acquiring Mason Miller at the trade deadline was big for the club, but they will be without Robert Suarez in 2026. He recently signed a deal with the Atlanta Braves, making for one less high-leverage arm in San Diego'a bullpen.
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ESPN analyst believes Padres' bullpen can make or break the club in 2026
San Diego will come into the new season without their ace Dylan Cease. He signed a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays to help stabilize their rotation.
The Padres were able to get a deal done with Michael King, which should make the front office feel a bit better. But, without another frontline starter, the bullpen can be used much more than it was in 2025.
ESPN's David Schoenfield believes that the club's bullpen performance will either make or break the team's chances this upcoming season.
"Given some of the current holes on the team... The bullpen will have to be the crucial ingredient to success again in 2026, even with closer Robert Suarez heading to Atlanta."
That is quite a lot of pressure to put on the bullpen, but the offense could surely help out the club. They have great power in their lineup with guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill atop the lineup.
While Schoenfield believes the bullpen will make or break the team, it is not just on them. The offense will need to step up, and the starting rotation will need to eat as many innings as they can.
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