Padres Press Clips Tuesday, May 17, 2016

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Jumbled NL West: Padres’ shot or false hope? UT San Diego Lin 2

No time to waste in trading Matt Kemp UT San Diego Brown 6

Minors: Dickerson homers twice for El Paso UT San Diego Sanders 8

FOX unveils ‘Pitch’ trailer featuring Padres, UT San Diego Sanders 9

Padres reaping benefit of refined approach on D MLB.com Cassavell 10

Renfroe looks to continue hot streak for -A El Paso MLB.com Thornburg 13

Gwynn escorted Williams to mound at ’99 ASG Padres.com Center 15

Padres Quarter-Season Awards NBC San Diego Togerson 17

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Jumbled NL West: Padres' shot or false hope? San Diego, 4 1/2 games out in West, will play next three series against Giants, Dodgers By Dennis Lin | 3:31 p.m. May 16, 2016 | Updated, 7:22 a.m. | May 17, 2016

MILWAUKEE — If you had a nickel for every time someone said the Padres are "battling," your coinage supply may have slowed to a trickle on Monday. The river should flow freely again Tuesday night. After a sorely needed off-day, a 17- 22 team that's stayed afloat in spite of a sagging disabled list will host the team that’s sitting atop the division.

The are poised for another even-year , are armed with two elite starting , are deep up and down the lineup, are on a five-game winning streak … and, at 22-18, are just 4 1/2 games ahead of last-place San Diego.

Depending on how you view a jumbled picture, the either was significantly overrated or remains one of the sport’s most competitive sectors. The Padres will get three shots at the Giants to open the week, then three against the third-place (20-19) and, right after that, three more versus the Giants at AT&T Park.

If ever there were a time to make up ground or, conversely, begin a long slide into oblivion, this would be it. Following the aforementioned stretch, the Padres won't play the NL West's heavyweights until the second week of July.

Both San Francisco and L.A. have habitually and recently beat up on San Diego — the Giants sealed a sweep three weeks ago, and the Dodgers infamously delivered a trio of season-opening shutouts at Petco Park — but largely due to sterling pitching, the Padres have been effective of late. While winning or splitting each of the last five series, they’ve seen 16 consecutive games decided by three or fewer runs.

"We’ve been playing good baseball," Derek Norris said after Sunday's 3-2 loss at Milwaukee. "Considering how banged up we’ve been, it’s pretty impressive that we’ve been able to compete in so many games, given how many guys have gone down."

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That, of course, is the rub. The Padres have kept their heads above water even as a wave of injuries has submerged a dozen players.

At the moment, eight are on the 15-DL — starting pitchers Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner; relievers and Matt Thornton; and infielders Yangervis Solarte, Cory Spangenberg, Alexi Amarista and Jemile Weeks. Two others are on the 60-day DL — starter Robbie Erlin and reliever .

Meantime, the lineup’s Nos. 1 and 2 hitters are day-to-day — center fielder Jon Jay, due to shoulder soreness, and Wil Myers, because of forearm tightness.

“We’ve got guys out there grinding really hard,” Padres Andy Green said Sunday. “We’ve got guys you kind of thought of as pinch-hitters and part-time players, and you look up there and they’re running out there every single day and we’re relying on them and they’re doing what they can to carry the weight of the club.”

As more than one rival evaluator has noted during the last month, it’s as if nature is nudging the Padres, apparently on the verge of critical mass, toward embracing an unabashed rebuild. Roster depth often becomes a primary separator as the spring bleeds into summer, and the Padres presently have very little of it.

Yet it’s still only May 16. The Padres will soon spend about $13 million on first-year draft selections and, less than a month after that, significantly more on July 2 international signings. There certainly are other ways to revitalize a farm system than selling off veteran big-leaguers, which continues to loom as a post-All-Star Game possibility.

While many inside Petco Park would privately acknowledge the franchise’s decade- long postseason drought is unlikely to end this October, ownership continues to hope for improvement on 2015’s 74-88 finish.

Those inside the clubhouse, of course, aren’t close to conceding a thing.

“We had conversations early in the year that all the teams in our division may not seem equal but everyone’s very talented, so they’re going to beat up on each other,” Norris said. “There’s not going to be a 100-win team, in my opinion, in this division. 3

Everyone’s going to have 80-some wins, and there might be a team that ends up winning the division with the low 90s. But as of right now, in my opinion, no one’s going to run away with this division. It’s going to be clogged up.”

Before Sunday's finale against the Brewers, Green was asked if he derived any satisfaction from a winning road trip. The Padres had guaranteed themselves that by taking two of three from the wildly hyped , then doing the same against the openly rebuilding Brewers.

"No," Green said. "It would seem like most people would say yes, but there’s a game to win today, and that’s all that really matters.

"You don’t get handed anything. You go home, you face San Francisco. They have (Madison) Bumgarner and (Johnny) Cueto and (Jeff) Samardzija. It doesn’t get any easier, so as you start getting healthy, you don’t get to breathe a sigh of relief and say, ‘Hey, now it’ll be easy.’ It’s never easy to win. There’s a game today that we’ve got to win."

Sunday at Miller Park, the Padres failed to do so. Myers was a last-minute scratch, and the weary visitors were shorthanded in the and on the bench.

Several hundred miles away, the Giants won on the road, polishing off a four-game sweep of the . The D-backs, who rebounded Monday night with a 12-2 drubbing of the , are 18-23 — also 4 1/2 back of San Francisco.

Green's former team — he coached third base for the D-backs last year — is the latest reminder that shiny offseasons frequently lose their luster when the lights come on. Following the next three series, the Padres will visit downtown Phoenix for a matchup that theoretically could buoy their hopes.

To stay out of the cellar, however, they'll also have to contend with the surprising , whose 19-18 record currently places second in the NL West.

"It’s good to still be in striking distance, especially when you’ve got a number of guys down," Green said. "The main thing is to stay close. Once you get healthy, you can 4 make a charge. I don’t get wrapped up in how far back we are right now. I know nobody’s running away with the division at this point in time, but we’ve got a tough test coming up, especially with these three arms in San Francisco. We’ve seen them once before, and now we’ll try to fight to win a series at home."

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No time to waste in trading Matt Kemp By Eddie Brown | 9:02 a.m. May 16, 2016 Padres general manager A.J. Preller must not wait until August to trade Matt Kemp.

Kemp's trade value will be at its peak shortly after the All-Star Break.

The Padres put a lot of stock into competing last season, only to fail miserably. As a result, Preller spent the offseason trading away several key players as a way to jump- start a rebuilding project. Make no mistake, the Padres are rebuilding. Which means there won't be any room for a 30-something outfielder making over $20 million per year.

Not only would it be good for the Padres to take Kemp off their payroll, but they also need to make room in their outfield for their top two prospects, Manuel Margot and . Margot is currently 39th on Scout.com's MLB Top-100 Prospects.

Both started this season in Triple-A and could be ready for the majors by September, if not the beginning of the 2017 season. Of course, to make room for both of them, particularly Renfroe, who is an ideal fit in right field, the Padres will have to trade Kemp.

The good news: Kemp is currently on pace for 37 homers and 116 RBIs, plus a likely All-Star appearance.

The bad news: He's had Jekyll and Hyde-like splits since 2013. He's either played like an All-Star one half and phoned it in the other or he's gotten hurt.

That's why as soon as players return from break, Preller needs to shop Kemp aggressively and take the best offer.

Preller's leverage and Kemp's value will never be higher.

FIRST HALF AB R H HR RBI SB AVG. *2013 224 29 57 4 24 9 .254

2014 305 38 82 8 35 5 .269 6

2015 348 44 87 8 47 8 .250

SECOND HALF AB R H HR RBI SB AVG. *2013 39 6 14 2 9 0 .359

2014 236 39 73 17 54 3 .309

2015 248 36 71 15 53 4 .286

*- Dealt with injuries

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Minors: Dickerson homers twice for El Paso Recapping the previous day of action for the Padres' minor league affiliates By Jeff Sanders | 6 a.m. May 17, 2016 Clearly, Alex Dickerson has nothing left to prove in the Pacific Coast League.

A day after returning to Triple-A El Paso, the 25-year-old Dickerson homered twice in a four-hit game to pace a 7-6 win over New Orleanson Monday night. Dickerson drove in three runs and also doubled and scored three runs while lifting his average to .395.

In the majors, Dickerson went 2-for-10 over eight games, which included his first – a grand slam. In the minors, Dickerson’s power surge – he’s up to five homers – was nearly matched by Hunter Renfroe, who hit an opposite-field blast for his seventh homer of the year.

Renfroe (.310) also drove in three runs on three hits and Diego Goris (.373) hit his third homer.

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (2-5, 7.07) allowed five runs – four earned – on nine hits and two walks in five innings and right-hander Eric Yardley (0.00) saved his first game with a scoreless ninth.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (12-24)

Corpus Christi 8, Missions 0: RHP Bryce Morrow (0-5, 7.00) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings. RF Yeison Asencio (.271) went 3-for-4 with a and LF Nick Torres (.262) collected two hits in four at-bats. HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (17-21)

Lancaster 19, Storm 0: LHP Thomas Dorminy (1-5, 8.91) allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings and LHP Trevor Seidenberger (6.75) allowed eight runs on five hits and three walks in one inning of work. 2B Luis Urias (.295) collected two of the Storm’s five hits.

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FOX unveils 'Pitch' trailer featuring Padres, Petco Park Upcoming fall series dramatizes woman's push to pitch in the majors By Jeff Sanders | 6:49 p.m. May 16, 2016

The Padres might be in the national spotlight long after the All-Star Game comes and goes. It may not have much to do with what transpires in the NL West, either.

FOX on Monday unveiled a trailer for “Pitch,” the upcoming fall series about the first woman to play in the majors – and for the Padres, no less. In addition to a number of familiar faces – Mark-Paul Gosselaar of “Saved by the Bell” fame as the Padres’ veteran catcher – the trailer features the Padres’ sun-splashed logo for the 2016 season, shots inside the actual clubhouse, the Sycuan and National University signs beyond the center field walls and shots inside and outside Petco Park.

Have a look. The official synopsis follows.

A beautiful, tough and gifted athlete, GINNY BAKER (Kylie Bunbury, “Under The Dome”) is vaulted into instant fame when she’s called up by the to make her Major League debut. Like any rookie, Ginny must prove herself to her teammates. Foremost among them is MIKE LAWSON (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, “Franklin & Bash,” “NYPD Blue”), the team’s ruggedly handsome star catcher. There’s instant chemistry between them, although neither dares admit it. After all, Mike is captain of the team and a few of his players don’t even want Ginny on the field. One of the players watching Ginny’s back is center fielder BLIP SANDERS (Mo McRae, “Sons of Anarchy”), an old friend from the minor leagues. Guiding her is her agent/confidante AMELIA SLATER (Ali Larter, “Legends,” “Heroes”). Amelia saw Ginny’s star potential early on and left her previous job as a Hollywood publicist to concentrate on the young phenom. Although groomed for this moment by her demanding father, BILL BAKER (guest star Michael Beach, “Sons of Anarchy”), the end of Ginny’s improbable journey is the beginning of an almost impossible one: representing her gender as she embarks on a successful baseball career under the glare of the white-hot media spotlight. It’s a goal hard enough for anyone to achieve – except this player is also a woman, who happens to be the most important historical figure in sports since . This season, Ginny Baker will be the other woman trying to break into one of the oldest, most exclusive men’s clubs in the country.

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Padres reaping benefits of refined approach on D By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

During the offseason, the Padres added Jon Jay and Alexei Ramirez. They also decided to use a pair of lifelong center fielders next to each other in the outfield and moved Wil Myers (permanently, it seems) to first base.

Those personnel changes and positioning decisions made the Padres an improved defensive ballclub; few argued that much heading into 2016. But just how much better were they, exactly?

We still don't have concrete answers. (A month and a half is far too small of a sample size.) But thus far in 2016, the Padres have put forth an improved defensive display in just about every facet. Currently, they sit sixth in the Majors with 13 Defensive Runs Saved -- compared with their dismal minus-28 mark from a year ago, which ranked 26th overall.

In the eyes of first-base and outfielders coach Tarrik Brock, the improvements are a result of several key factors -- first and foremost, the players on the field. There's also been an increased focus within the organization on proper defensive positioning and effective first steps.

"The players are definitely working hard, and they prepared themselves from the offseason to ," Brock said. "As a coaching staff, we've done our homework -- studying our charts, knowing our pitching staff and our defense and our players and their strengths. When you combine that with our pitchers hitting their spots, it's a combination of everything coming together."

Brock's bunch has had the biggest impact on the club's overall defensive gains. According to Fangraphs, San Diego outfielders have posted a plus-12 DRS this season, 30 runs better than 2015. Since last year, the Padres put a halt to Myers' ill-fated tenure in center field. They pushed Melvin Upton Jr. to left field, where he's flourished. And they've given significant time to Travis Jankowski late in games. Even Matt Kemp has been much improved defensively this season.

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"They give us a very good guideline," Upton said of the game-planning done by San Diego's coaches. "At the same time, you've got veteran outfielders that have been out there a while, that know how to read hitters, that know how to read what your 's got that day, and what they're doing. So you combine all of that and it's definitely been coming together."

The Padres' outfield has been spectacular at times this season, with four or five highlight-reel catches in key moments. In the infield, the progress has been more methodical.

Four infielders are currently on the disabled list, and it's been tough for manager Andy Green to establish continuity. But the one constant has been an increased focus on defensive positioning -- which has led to players' shuffling around the infield, sometimes two or three times during an individual at-bat.

According to third-base coach , the positive impact of shifting has been a direct result of the coaching staff's wealth of information.

"The spray charts have more detail into them than years before, where there were just a few lines," Hoffman said. "Now we've got things like counts -- ahead in the count, behind in the count."

Hoffman and assistant coach Eddie Rodriguez pore through binders every day, ultimately coming up with a plan for defending their opponent. They'll then confer with Green and pitching coach Darren Balsley to make sure the defensive strategy jives with the pitcher's plan of attack.

More often than not, San Diego's overarching defensive strategy has worked. The .258 average against what FanGraphs classifies as "traditional shifts" for the Padres is the sixth lowest in the game.

"It feels good because you've done your homework," Hoffman said. "You've put some work in and it pays off. If it goes against the grain, they get a hit, that's baseball. But overall, we're just trying to go with the percentages."

San Diego has been playing Brett Wallace out of position for most of this month. A first baseman/DH-type by trade, Wallace has been playing at third -- which often means he's moving all over the infield against left-handed hitters.

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As a victim of quite a few shifts himself, Wallace said it's remarkable to see out-of-position Padres receive batted balls so frequently. But given the work put in by the coaching staff, he says it's not surprising.

"You start with everything they do just to get us prepared to play in general, just the ground balls they hit to us and the things they teach us," Wallace said. "And then there's a staff that goes all the way up to the front office that goes over numbers and helps come up with where we're going to play.

"It's shown statistically that it helps quite a bit, and more often than not, we're in positions to take away hits."

The same holds true of the outfield, as San Diego have used quite a few atypical alignments. In Upton's eyes, the staff's prep work combined with the defensive talent on the field has turned the Padres' outfield into a force.

"It's either got to be hit on a line or go over a fence -- or we're catching it," Upton said. "That's the way we feel, man. We take pride in it, and hopefully we can continue to get better."

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Renfroe looks to continue hot streak for Triple-A El Paso By Chad Thornburg / MLB.com

Here's a look at top prospects to watch on Tuesday in Minor League action:

Hitter to watch: Hunter Renfroe (Padres' No. 3) For a second consecutive game, Hunter Renfroe went deep, launching a three-run home run for Triple-A El Paso on Monday. Renfroe, the No. 88 overall prospect, went 3-for-5 for his fourth straight multi-hit performance. He's 10-for-22 over his last four games and is hitting .310 on the year with seven homers and 26 RBIs through 35 games. The Chihuahuas face the New Orleans Zephyrs at 1:05 p.m. ET onMiLB.TV.

Pitcher to watch: (Giants' No. 3) After some early season woes, Phil Bickford appears to have turned a corner. The right-hander has allowed four earned runs over his last three starts (18 IP), lowering his ERA from 5.27 to 3.41 since April 20. Bickford, who's in the midst of his first professional season, has struck out 39 batters in 31 2/3 innings for Class A Augusta. The GreenJackets host the Asheville Tourists at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Duel of the day: Tyler Glasnow (Pirates' No. 1) vs. Mike Clevinger (Indians' No. 7) Glasnow, the No. 8 overall prospect in baseball, will look to rebound from a tough outing when his Triple-A Indianapolis squad takes on Columbus on Tuesday. After three consecutive scoreless starts, Glasnow allowed three earned runs on six hits and five walks -- both matching season- highs -- and struck out just one batter. Despite the rough start, the right-hander still owns a 2.13 ERA.

Clevinger, meanwhile, has limited his opponent to two or fewer runs in six of his seven starts this year, including four straight. Clevinger, a 2011 fourth-round Draft pick, brings a sterling 5-0 record and a 3.03 ERA into today's matchup. He went a season-high six innings against Lehigh Valley his last time out, allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks while fanning seven. The Indians and Clippers square off at 11:05 a.m. ET on MiLB.TV.

Tuesday's Top 100 Probables

No. 37 Francis Martes (Astros' #3), Corpus Christi at San Antonio (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) No. 56 (Twins' #3), Fort Myers at Dunedin (11:00 a.m. ET) No. 61 Kyle Zimmer (Royals' #2) Wilmington vs. Frederick (6:35 p.m. ET) More top prospect probables

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Gabriel Ynoa (Mets' #13) Las Vegas at Oklahoma City (AAA) Joan Gregorio (Giants' #21) Sacramento at Memphis (AAA) Joe Gunkel (Orioles' #19) Norfolk at Pawtucket (AAA) Chris Beck (White Sox #14) Charlotte vs. Rochester (AAA) Brady Lail (Yankees' #19) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Louisville (AAA) Alec Asher (Phillies' #27) Lehigh Valley vs. Syracuse (AAA) Dylan Overton (Athletics' #10) Nashville vs. Fresno (AAA) Kyle McGowin (Angels' #16) Salt Lake at Colorado Springs (AAA) Adam Plutko (Indians' #15) Akron at Hartford (AA) (Pirates' #15) Altoona at Binghamton (AA) Myles Jaye (Tigers' #24) Erie vs. Harrisburg (AA) Nick Pivetta (Phillies' #19) vs. Parker Bridwell (Orioles' #17), Reading at Bowie (AA) (Giants' #17) vs. Jordan Montgomery (Yankees' #20), Richmond at Trenton (AA) (Rays' #18) Montgomery at Jacksonville (AA) Rob Whalen (Braves' #27) vs. Nick Travieso (Reds' #9), Mississippi at Pensacola (AA) (Dodgers' #18) Tulsa at Springfield (AA) Yoan Lopez (D-Backs' #7) Mobile vs. Jackson (AA) Alec Mills (Royals' #14) Northwest Arkansas vs. Arkansas (AA) Jairo Labourt (Tigers' #10) Lakeland at Palm Beach (A Adv) Mitch Brown (Indians' #30) Lynchburg vs. Salem (A Adv) Yeudy Garcia (Pirates' #18) vs. Bubba Derby (Brewers' #20), Bradenton at Brevard Country (A Adv) (Yankees' #10) vs. Michael Mader (Marlins' #25), Tampa vs. Jupiter (A Adv) Thad Lowry (White Sox #21) Winston-Salem at Myrtle Beach (A Adv) Josh Sborz (Dodgers' #24) Rancho Cucamonga at Lake Elsinore (A Adv) Wei-Chieh Huang (D-Backs' #5) Visalia at Modesto (A Adv) Sandy Baez (Tigers' #20) West Michigan vs. Bowling Green (A) David Hill (Rockies' #29) vs. Phil Bickford (Giants' #3), Ashville at Augusta (A) Cody Poteet (Marlins' #19) Greensboro at Kannapolis (A) Pedro Payano (Rangers' #29) vs. Foster Griffin (Royals' #9) Hickory at Lexington (A) (Blue Jays' #4) Lansing at Fort Wayne (A) (Braves' #13) Rome at Columbia (A) Carson Sands (Cubs' #23) South Bend at Great Lakes (A) Sandy Alcantara (Cardinals' #19) Peoria at Kane County (A)

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Gwynn escorted Williams to mound at '99 ASG Opening ceremonies topped American League's 4-1 win

Although he was voted into the starting lineup for the 12th and final time, was injured and didn't play in the 1999 All-Star Game at in Boston.

But he later remembered the trip as one of his greatest experiences.

Gwynn, who first befriended Boston legend and San Diego native during the 1992 All-Star Game in San Diego, was reunited with Williams during ceremonies before the 70th All-Star Game.

During the pregame ceremonies, Gwynn escorted the wheelchair-bound Williams onto the field. Gwynn and other players stood alongside Williams and other greats during a series of introductions that drew ovations from the 34,187 in attendance.

Williams threw the ceremonial first pitch.

"I got goosebumps," Gwynn said later. "What you heard was love and respect for Ted Williams, one of the all-time greats. It showed what he meant to Boston and baseball. It was an incredible moment. It meant a lot to everyone who was there. Not much got to Ted, but that did, and I was honored to be there to be a part of it."

The game itself resulted in a 4-1 American League victory -- the third straight in a series that was again tipping toward the Junior Circuit.

And the Most Valuable Player turned out to be another Boston star, right-hander Pedro Martinez, who struck out the side in the first, finished with five in two innings and became the first American League pitcher to win the game in his home ballpark.

Arizona Matt Williams was the only National League hitter to reach base against Martinez on a one-out error by Cleveland second baseman . Williams was eliminated on a /throw-out double play.

Meanwhile, the American League scored twice in the bottom of the first against Philadelphia's . 15

Indians left fielder Kenny Lofton opened the game with a single and stole second with two out ahead of a walk to right fielder and Cleveland teammate Manny Ramirez. First baseman , the third Cleveland player in the American League starting lineup, drove in Lofton with a single. Baltimore third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. then singled home Ramirez.

The National League halved the deficit in the top of the third. Milwaukee left fielder Jeromy Burnitz doubled off the Yankees' and scored on a two-out single by Cincinnati .

The American League's other two runs came in the bottom of the fourth against Cardinals pitcher Kent Bottenfield, who walked Thome then hit Ripken to open the inning. Designated hitter Rafael Palmiero singled home Thome, and Ripken scored on a one-out error by Williams on a grounder hit by Alomar.

The National League was managed by , whose Padres won the 1998 National League pennant. Padres pitchers Andy Ashby and Trevor Hoffman joined Gwynn on the National League team. Each retired the only hitter they faced, Hoffman getting a strikeout.

After Cone worked two innings, five American League pitchers each worked a scoreless inning. The American League had seven of the game's 13 hits -- with no player in the game having more than one hit.

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Padres Quarter-Season Awards Who deserves recognition 25% of the way through the season By Derek Togerson

The Padres had an off day on Monday. They start a 3-game series at Petco Park against the first-place San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. At 17-22 they’re only 4.5 games out of first place and with 39 games under their belt the Friars have basically played one quarter of their season.

Mike Janela, host of Padres Social Hour, asked Bill Center and me to come up with a list of the Quarter-Pole Padres Award winners. Here’s where I stand on the issue. See how many you agree or disagree with:

MVP: Alexei Ramirez It’s hard to argue with the offensive production of outfielder Matt Kemp. But I’m going with shortstop Ramirez because while his offensive numbers are not anything special, his defense (aside from one drop in Chicago) has been stellar. Last year the Padres were one of the worst fielding teams in baseball. This year they’re in the top-10 in run prevention and Ramirez is a big reason why. It’s especially impressive when you consider he’s the only starting infielder who has not gotten hurt this year and he’s worked with a bunch of different pieces around him without missing a beat.

CY YOUNG: Drew Pomeranz Remember in Spring Training when we all thought Pomeranz was going to be one of the top relievers on the Padres staff? Yeah, we were wrong. The lefty leads the team in wins (4) and strikeouts (51 in just 40.0 innings) and has only walked 19. Pomeranz has a 1.80 ERA, putting him squarely in the conversation to be the Padres’ representative at the All-Star Game at Petco Park in July. also warrants consideration here.

ROOKIE OF THE (QUARTER) YEAR: Ryan Buchter Quick, tell me how the Padres landed Buchter? Don’t worry; I had to look it up, too. Padres General Manager A.J. Preller signed Buchter to a minor league contract in December to very little (OK, no) fanfare. He made the roster and has been stellar out of the bullpen, allowing just one run in 19 appearances and that run was a solo homer by Trevor Story in Colorado in April, back when Story was swinging the bat so well he’d have taken the 1985 version of Dwight Gooden deep twice a game. Buchter, who had made just one career appearance in the big leagues prior to 2016, is on a 15.1 inning scoreless streak and got his first MLB last week in Milwaukee.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Melvin Upton, Jr. And what a pleasant surprise he is. Offensively, defensively, clubhouse presence … you name it and Upton is doing it well. He’s hitting .281 with five home runs and is playing an above-

17 average left field. Upton has stopped all the questions about whether or not he’s worth his big contract and become a player who other teams will likely be asking about acquiring at the trade deadline.

BIGGEST LOSS: Tyson Ross You can’t have as many injuries as the Padres have suffered without feeling it. I think Ross is the one that’s been missed the most. He was supposed to be the team’s ace, the guy who stops the losing streaks, the guy who sets the tone for the entire rotation, and he hasn’t seen the mound since Opening Day. The guys who have filled in, chiefly Robbie Erlin and Cesar Vargas, have done an admirable job but you can’t lose the guy you deem the best pitcher on your entire staff and not feel it. Yangervis Solarte, who was hitting .375 when he went down with a hamstring injury, also gets votes here.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Whoever is in charge of hamstrings I don’t know what the deal is but this has reached the point of ridiculousness. Try stretching, or drinking more water, or whatever. This has to stop.

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