The Padres are headed to the World Series. But the Braves are going to actually win the World Series.
You might not think that checks out — of course, it doesn’t — but that’s what happened the last time the two teams at Petco Park this weekend started their season as they have in 2025.
The 1984 Padres are the only other team in franchise history to start 4-0 and their season didn’t end until the Detroit Tigers beat them in five games in the World Series. In that same vein, the last time the Braves started their season with a four-game losing streak, in 2021, they ended it with their most recent world championship.
We point out all of that to say that there’s nothing truly revelatory to pull out of the pomp and circumstance and celebration of the Padres’ pristine opening weekend other than this:
The Braves will be a much better team if both Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are off the injured list when the Padres visit Atlanta in late May.
Oh, and the Padres appear to be every bit the bear they were last October, even with Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott, Kyle Higashioka, Ha-Seong Kim and others departing as free agents.
They still pitch (22 straight scoreless innings heading into Monday’s game). They really flash that leather (Oh, Doctor). They’ve got that Petco Park hitting down pat (finally). They’ve got Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting and running on all cylinders (beware).
Time will tell if that’s enough to stay relevant in the NL West (no, the Dodgers haven’t lost yet, either), but they’ve got a formula that can beat any team at any time.
Up next: The Guardians.
“Just hit the ground running,” center fielder Jackson Merrill said. “That’s what we wanted to do. It’s what we came out and did. So proud of our guys, but more work to do. Cleveland’s a good team, so let’s look forward to the next series.”
1 | Los Angeles Dodgers (5-0)
The Dodgers are on pace to win all their games despite Roki Sasaki walking nine in less than five innings to start his big-league career.
2 | San Diego Padres (4-0)
The back of the rotation is setting the tone so far. Randy Vásquez threw six shutout innings on Saturday and Nick Pivetta turned in seven scoreless on Sunday. Your turn, Kyle Hart.
3 | New York Yankees (3-0)
The Yankees slugged 15 homers in their first three games with their new, legal “torpedo bats,” and the rest of the league can’t get their orders in fast enough.
4 | St. Louis Cardinals (3-0)
If the Cardinals are still shopping Nolan Arenado, a 5-for-11 start (1, HR, 1.447 OPS) ought to shine up his market.
5 | Texas Rangers (3-1)
He’s back … or at least on his way: Jacob deDrom allowed two runs in 10 ⅔ innings last September after his return from Tommy John surgery and then on Sunday struck out six over five shutout innings.
6 | Miami Marlins (3-1)
Good stuff early so far in Miami, where Jeff Conine on Sunday became the first member of the Marlins Hall of Fame and son Griffin hit a game-tying homer in a victory.
7 | Cleveland Guardians (2-1)
Tanner Bibee insists it wasn’t Chipotle, a day-before ritual, that saddled him with the food poisoning that pushed him off his opening day start. He looked plenty healthy again in throwing 5 ⅔ shutout innings in a win over the Royals on Sunday.
8 | Philadelphia Phillies (2-1)
A good first impression: Jesus Luzardo’s 11 strikeouts on Sunday tied Hall-of-Famer Jim Bunning for the second most in a team debut in Phillies history.
9 | San Francisco Giants (2-1)
The oldest player in the majors at 40 years and 39 days old, Justin Verlander threw five innings of two-run ball in his Giants debut on Saturday. Injury limited him to 90⅓ innings last year, so the Giants hope he can hold off Father Time for a bit longer.
10 | Tampa Bay Rays (2-1)
Before a walk-off win on opening day, it was a “sell the team” chat that was making all the headlines as the Rays opened the season in the Yankees’ spring training ballpark, Tampa Bay’s plan to make do after Hurricane Milton tore through Tropicana Field.
The rest
- 11 | Houston Astros (2-1)
- 12 | Los Angeles Angels (2-1)
- 13 | Baltimore Orioles (2-2)
- 14 | Oakland Athletics (2-2)
- 15 | Seattle Mariners (2-2)
- 16 | Toronto Blue Jays (2-2)
- 17 | Arizona Diamondbacks (2-2)
- 18 | Chicago Cubs (2-4)
- 19 | Chicago White Sox (1-2)
- 20 | Colorado Rockies (1-2)
- 21 | Cincinnati Reds (1-2)
- 22 | Washington Nationals (1-2)
- 23 | Kansas City Royals (1-2)
- 24 | New York Mets (1-2)
- 25 | Boston Red Sox (1-3)
- 26 | Pittsburgh Pirates (1-3)
- 27 | Detroit Tigers (0-3)
- 28 | Atlanta Braves (0-4)
- 29 | Minnesota Twins (0-3)
- 30 | Milwaukee Brewers (0-3)
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