It’s May. The Padres have played a month worth of games and sit on top of the National League West. The parades on Sixth Avenue have been wonderful and frequent. People are pumped about this Padres team. At the beginning of the season I predicted 92 wins for this club. If all the Padres were to do is play the NL Central, I’d be safe with that bet. They are on pace for 106 wins mostly because they can beat up these bad teams. Sitting 15-7 and atop (albeit tied) the NL West to start the month of May is a great place to be.

Fangraphs projects 91 wins on the season for the Padres. I realize Fangraphs was projecting 94 wins for the team last season when they were 17 games over .500, and we all remember how well that ended. But this year feels different. The pitching staff is better. The run prevention is stout. You know I can’t wait for the ceremony with the unfurling of the “Longest No Errors Streak To Start A Season flag. That will look nice next to the Number 1 Ranked Farm System flags from ‘19 and ‘20. I bet they fly in DJ Wayne for the event. That kook. I wonder where he is peddling losers to now.

But this team pitches. They are so stacked at starting pitching that the most productive starter this season just might have to go to El Paso and eat shitty Tex Mex for a while. Poor Mackenzie. I really hope he stays. But Mike Clevinger will start this week against his old team from Cleveland which should move Nick Martinez to the ‘pen. Actually the ‘pen could use the help as they have had injuries and those left have seen some recent struggles, but if Martinez can pitch in, maybe that stabilizes the entirety a bit.

Blake Snell made his first rehab start in Fort Wayne and went through four IP on just 44 pitches. He didn’t walk anyone gave up two hits, no runs and he struck out four. He’ll be back soon. Which leaves me wondering what they do with Gore. He struck out 10 Pirates in five innings of work last week. His season numbers in a very small sample size, but still, he’s pitching like a kid going for the ROY. And if he’s allowed to keep this up maybe even the Cy Young. How can they send down the probable Cy Young winner? What kind of id…oh yeah, AJ Preller.

These good problems to have tend to sort themselves out, so I’m hopeful there are enough innings to go around for everyone. I honestly believe this is the best starting pitching staff ever assembled by a Padres team. So credit to AJ Preller I guess. But if he sends Gore down I’m still going to call him an idiot. And with the defense at an all time high, maybe they do have the make up of a championship contender.

They are scoring runs at decent enough rate to stay in this thing. Manny Machado is so hot right now I don’t think he can hit a ball less than 100mph right now. Eric Hosmer, well maybe Hos can grow on me a little. He’s still hitting like someone who sold their soul to the BABIP gods, but maybe his marriage and soon to be fatherhood have changed him for the better. He has a family to take care of now. He needs to have a great season so he can opt out and make the big bucks. Go Hos!