Padres, Cubs, both of whom look like candidates in the National League: 5 snacks from their series in San Diego

Two weeks ago, a series that seemed to be a collision of heavyweights of the National League turned out to be a one -sided affair when the Dodgers swept the braves to continue the dream start to their season and to expand a miserable beginning for Atlanta.

This week there was another festival tent National League-Matchup, with the Chicago Cubs visiting the red-hot San Diego Padres, and this time the games were fair to the hype and offered an early litmus test for two competitors who are already laser focus here in October.

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Here are five snack bars from the three-game set in Petco Park, which the Padres won 2-1, and what can be seen for both clubs.

Fernando Tatis Jr. no longer strikes

Since Fernando Tatis Jr. had missed the entire 2022 season in connection with a motorcycle accident, followed by a PED suspension of 80 games, we asked ourselves whether and when we would see that he returned to the MVP caliber superstar, into which he once bloomed. So far it could happen in 2025: by Wednesday, Tatis is in the top three of the National League in Homers (6), stolen bases (6), average stroke (.348), WRC+ (193) and Fwar (1.4). He scored twice at the start of the series and drove in two runs in the 4-2 victory on Wednesday, including the drawing of a walk loaded by bases, to end a 10-pitch fight with Cubs Reliever Luke Little.

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Tatis has not even increased in the three games against the Cubs, which highlighted a fascinating element of his early success: he significantly reduced the punchouts. It is not the case that Tatis ever hit Joey Gallo -Level, but he had a 25% career -strike rate in 2025. So far, he has only made 11.3% of the record appearances this season and he has more contact than ever before.

If his zero-strikeout series against The Cubs does not inspire you, think about it: Tatis’ series of seven games without strike at the beginning of this season the longest series of his career was. This is reminiscent of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s breathtaking winnings in the plate discipline during his historical 2023, when he also entered the year with a strike rate of 25% and was then taken to 11% on the way to an MVP price. Could a similar season for Tatis be in stock? It seems to be that way.

The cubs will rake with or without Matt Shaw

There were high expectations of top prospect Matt Shaw to have an immediate influence on the Cubs after making the team from spring training. It was not a completely shocking decision when you consider the extent to which he had to fight: Shaw went for walks and occasionally made an outstanding defensive game in the third basis, but he did with minimal performance. He just seemed to be exceeded.

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When discussing the move, managers Craig Cununell repeated the long -term faith of the team in Shaw and we will see him again later this summer. But if we have learned something in the first few weeks, this team will meet whether Shaw takes in the middle of an NL rookie of the-year races or his time in Triple-A. Kyle Tucker has fundamentally changed this line -up in every respect and was the driving force for a criminal offense that is in second place in runs per game (5.90), fourth in Homeruns (27), first in steals (29) and fifth in WRC+ (121). Although Chicago has been exceeded in the 15-8 series, the Cubs surpass the Padres 27-23 and put together a number of good bats against one of the best pitching employees in baseball.

Beyond Tucker, Michael Busch seems to take another step forward, Seiya Suzuki gives a smooth fits to his everyday DH duties, and Pete Crow-Armstrong takes his step on the plate. Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson have not even got going, which indicates an even higher blanket for this group when these two start to warm up. When Shaw will find in the big leagues later this summer and grow again in the hot corner, this will surely be one of the more dangerous National League constellations – an opponent will want to deal with October in October.

The Mercurial Cubs Bullpen is a problem

The Cubs relievers take 27th place in the ERA, the 28th place in Whip and the 22nd in Fwar in three weeks of playing, a worrying reality for a club that prioritized the Bullpen in the off -season. But it is also worth mentioning that the impressed unit in two of its victories in two victories last week: On Sunday, when Colin Rea and six helpers stopped the Dodgers two runs to claim the series, and on Tuesday when five Bullpen weapons were almost flawless to get Schuta Imanaga to get a 10th assignment in San Diego.

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Unfortunately, on Monday, behind Jameson Taillon there was an overall representation by Nate Pearson and Eli Morgan on Monday and an untidy effort from Little on Wednesday, in which he ran four batteries in his season debut. This variance was also exhibited when the Padres visited Chicago at the beginning of this month, since the bullpen of the Cubs only allowed one run in the first two victories, but then brought up a 7: 3 lead together to lose the series finals.

Since Justin Steele needs the elbow surgery at the end of the end of the season and Javier Assad has still worked back from a weird injury, the current rotation is unable to carry out the entire heavy lifting, and the Bullpen has to increase more consistently in order not to waste the leads that are often granted by this top-end criminal offense. There is talent that this can happen-porter Hodge is evil, Ryan Pressly is a proven veteran and does not sleep on hard-throwers Julian Merryweather and Daniel Palencia-Aber Conselle must find the right mix to rely on more than later.

The Padres don’t get unbeaten at home, but can you write history?

On Tuesday, Chicago San Diego handed over his first defeat in Petco Park in 2025 and ended an 11-game winning shop that was bound to a season in the history of MLB history for the quarter. The Padres drove back on Wednesday to win the series and bring their home record to a remarkable 12: 1. Because as electrically as the atmosphere in Petco Park, the competitor status has risen since San Diego, the Padres have actually played better on the street in the last three seasons. But if the past few weeks have been signs, you could block this trend in 2025 in a spectacular way.

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It is certainly a route that San Diego will maintain its percentage of the home winner of 0.923 for the entire season. What corresponds to a 75:6 home record-but this hot start to his home country is worth keeping an eye on the best home record in the history of the league. Here, the best percentages of the home winner have been to 162 games with expansion in 1961 and the way these teams have been done in October for a season since the schedule:

1. 1961 Yankees: 65-16 (.802%)-won World Series

2. 1975 Reds: 64-17 (.790%)-The World Series won

3. 1998 Yankees: 62-19 (.765%)-won World Series

4. 1995 Indian: 54-18 (.750%)-Lost World Series

6. 1969 Orioles: 60-21 (.741%)-Lost World Series

7. 2019 Astros: 60-21 (.741%)-Lost World Series

8. 1977 Phillies: 60-21 (.741%)-Lost NLCS

9. 1970 Orioles: 59-22 (.728%)-The World Series won

10. 2019 Dodgers: 59-22 (.728%)-NLDS lost

We are far from finding out whether this 2025 Padres squad of this illustrious ranking will be followed. But if you can, the story suggests that a deep playoff would follow.

Both teams will continue to be tested in the coming weeks

Fresh from their six-game swing in South California against the Mighty Dodgers and Padres, the Cubs on the Wrigley Field awaits you, and the competition is not loosely loosened. First of all, another impressive NL West Foe arrives in the D-Backs, the team with which the Cubs divided four games to open the regular season after the Tokyo, and one with a line-up that is able to meet Chicago’s powerful offense. The Dodgers will follow two games next week to complete their season series, and then the Phillies will come to town the next weekend before the division game finally begins for the Cubbies, travel to Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. If the Cubs are still on the NL center until May the calendar flows until May, they will certainly deserve it.

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In the meantime, the Padres have an interesting run from interleague showdowns on deck: three in Houston, three in Detroit and then for three against the rays at home. These are three difficult customers that contain all Stellar Pitching employees who should come together in every series with San Diego’s Stall to Impact ARMS weapons. In this phase, the Padres may be the more complete team than the Cubs, but to keep a step in the NL vest is a more particularly discouraged task than in the mediocre NL center, so that the upcoming road for San Diego could possibly prove more challenging.

If we are lucky, this week will not be the last time that these two teams compete against each other in 2025. After a season series in which both teams won three games and both teams achieved 25 runs, only one reserary on the October stage seems to be correct.