I took last week off because I was being obliterated by Eric Hosmer fans. All I could do is rage tweet against the machine. Hos is still hawt. The HOT HOS OPT OUT SZN is going swimmingly. I won’t say anything snarky, like June is coming, but aren’t we half way through May? Good luck, Hos Homers.

I never go on Padres Facebook. I imagine it is full of boomers and mouth breathers that swear Batting Average is still relevant. It’s full of fans that enjoy a bunt. But now they are infiltrating Twitter. They don’t have a solid argument when defending Hos because there is really no defense that will stick. He still drives the ball hard into the ground. He’s not going to change. The Padres will ride his hot streak to a decent record. Hopefully they stay hot long enough to stay competitive until Fernando Tatis Jr. returns. Heal quick, youngster.

But now Hos fans are punching back. As they should. Hos sits near the top of the league in batting average. Which means something to Padres Twitter. I guess. I don’t want to do my own research to find out for certain. His defense is rating pretty well on Baseball Savant’s statcast. Statcast obviously has not seen him back up on short hop throws so I am not sure if the data is real. I should do some research. 1 Defensive Run Saved (DRS) and an Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) of -0.7. Baseball Savant has his Outs Above Average at the 81st percentile. Not bad Eric Hosmer. Not bad.

Hos has cooled down in May. He’s slashed .294/.345/.392 over 55 PAs which is also not bad, but not really good for a first baseman. That has always been the big problem with Hos. He’s just not that good for a 1Ber, but is paid for premium production. That contract hamstrings the Padres front office from being able to add helpful pieces elsewhere as they are up against the salary cap. Did I say salary cap? Excuse me, I meant luxury tax. My bad.

But this piece is not just about Eric Hosmer. Everything isn’t about you, Hos! I have it on very good authority that he reads this blog religiously. So does his brother. Thanks for reading, guys! I’m glad somebody cares. I know HJ Preller doesn’t. He broke my heart and admitted as much on the Padres Hot Tub podcast last week. But the joke is on HJ because I don’t give a rat’s ass what he thinks of my posts. I’ve got important readers like Eric Hosmer’s big brother and my mom. And I’ll have you know I do not live in her basement. Anymore. No I’m fine if HJ hates me. I’m not crying, you’re crying! No this week is more about Your/My/Our first place San Diego Padres! It’s mid-May and the team is tied atop the NL West with the dodgers.

The Padres have gone 7-5 since my last post and are now 22-13. They are on the road to Philadelphia and then San Francisco for three apiece so this will not be an easy road trip. With five games left to the quarter post of this season, this team is looking like a serious contender. The starting pitching is fantastic. Manny Machado is my best friend. Luke Voit and Wil Myers are back and the team is scoring more than two runs a game. Sure the bullpen is shaky, but with Blake Snell back in the rotation it looks like Nick Martinez moves to long relief. It also looks like Mackenzie Gore will stay as the Padres go with a six man rotation for the next few weeks as the Padres will play 22 games in 23 weeks.

The main concern for the team right now is the lack of production from the outfield. Combined they have produced about a half a win. Trent Grisham has been well below his career numbers at the plate and surprisingly in the field as well. Jurickson Profar has been above league average on both sides of the plate and the only positive producer in the outfield. Wil Myers has been injured, so hopefully he is healed enough to move off replacement level production. There isn’t any useful help in AAA El Paso, but maybe Estuery Ruiz of the AA San Antonio Missions will get a much deserved promotion to the Chihuahuas to possibly provide a second half spark. It is possible the Padres look to trade at the deadline for an outfielder or two as well. But it’s hard to imagine AJ Preller will be of much use in adding without making a mess elsewhere to the roster.

I also wish Padres manager Bob Melvin all the best in his recovery. Hopefully he rejoins the team in San Francisco as he said he wanted. Heal up and get back at the helm. He has this team playing good baseball and well positioned for a fun summer. And on a personal note, we welcomed our first granddaughter to the world just this morning. A new Padres fan joining our ranks. It’s going to be a great off day. Enjoy, everyone.

And go Padres!