Wil Myers Is San Diego Padres' Key To Success In 2016

By Bryan Zarpentine

Heading into the 2016 season, the odds are heavily stacked against the San Diego Padres. The NL West is expected to be a three-horse race, and the Padres aren’t one of the three. Of course, for now everybody is tied at 0-0 and theoretically has a chance for success. For San Diego, success may come down to the play of first baseman Wil Myers.

Back in 2013, Myers put together an impressive rookie campaign, hitting a line of .293/.354/.478, including 13 home runs, on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. However, since then Myers has failed to replicate that kind of success, in large part due to injury. Obviously, Myers is capable from a talent standpoint of returning to the form he had in 2013, and if he can remain healthy and do just that in 2016, he has the potential to emerge as a difference maker in San Diego’s lineup. He’s the kind of difference maker the Padres will need if they’re going to have any chance of competing in the NL West this year.

The Padres return a few solid and productive players in their lineup, including Matt Kemp and Yangervis Solarte, but they also have to find ways to replace the likes of Justin Upton and Yonder Alonso, which is why Myers is so important. If Myers can return to being the player he was in 2013, he’s capable of surpassing the production the Padres got last year from Upton and Alonso and becoming the kind of middle-of-the-lineup bat San Diego needs to have hitting alongside Kemp and Solarte.

It’s important to remember that San Diego was on the fringe of the playoff picture at the trade deadline last season, so a big year from Myers could be enough to put them in a similar position this season. Right now, having an outside chance at a playoff spot at the start of August is close to the best-case scenario for the Padres, and a situation they would be lucky to find themselves in over the final two months of the season.

Such a scenario would become far more realistic if Myers can replicate or surpass the production he had during his rookie season. Obviously, staying healthy and avoiding the injuries that have plagued him over the past two seasons is the first priority. A healthy and productive season from Myers has the potential to make a big difference for the Padres in 2016.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon

You May Also Like