{"id":116701,"date":"2026-03-26T01:26:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=116701"},"modified":"2026-03-26T01:27:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:27:39","slug":"surprises-abound-padres-announce-26-man-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/26\/surprises-abound-padres-announce-26-man-roster\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprises Abound as Padres Announce 26-Man Opening Day Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MLB regular season is finally upon us. The San Diego Padres have announced their 26-man roster, and with a few surprises included, the Friars are ready for the 2026 season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBNgLu4N48\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2798px; aspect-ratio: 2798\/1865;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h2>Plenty of Surprises as Padres Announce Opening Day Roster<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>The Position Races Finally End<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=song--000sun\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sung-Mun Song<\/a> beginning the season with a short stint on the injured list, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/f\/francty01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ty France<\/a> is on the 26-man roster. The Gold Glove first baseman will return to San Diego as a bench contributor for the club.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France raked his way onto the roster, finishing the spring with a .306\/.352\/.510 slash line. He also had 12 RBI across 19 games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surprising nobody, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/campulu01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luis Campusano<\/a> is the backup catcher for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/f\/fermifr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Freddy Fermin<\/a>. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/andujmi01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Miguel Andujar<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/casteni01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Castellanos<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sheetga01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gavin Sheets<\/a> will <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/10\/with-padres-new-focus-on-power-will-sheets-play-larger-role-in-2026-infield\/\" target=\"_self\">form a 1B\/DH platoon<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After never playing a single game at the position, Castellanos had a fantastic spring at first base. In nine games at the position, he held a .980 fielding percentage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, though, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=bowen-000jas\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jase Bowen<\/a> was beaten out by <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/j\/johnsbr03.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryce Johnson<\/a>. Though Johnson is a much more regular contributor at the big-league level, Bowen had an incredible spring, hitting .296\/.333\/.630 through 25 Cactus League games.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s the unfortunate reality of constructing a 26-man roster, with Bowen on the outside looking in despite doing everything right this spring. Hopefully, he\u2019ll get a look later this year as a depth option out of Triple-A.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Our 2026 Opening Day Roster. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aW4M0X8lEA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/aW4M0X8lEA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 San Diego Padres (@Padres) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Padres\/status\/2036935872348905642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Starting Rotation is Solidified<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For now, the Friars are going with this starting five:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pivetni01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Pivetta<\/a>, RHP<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kingmi01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael King<\/a>, RHP<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vasqura02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Randy V\u00e1squez<\/a>, RHP<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/marquge01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez<\/a>, RHP<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/buehlwa01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Walker Buehler<\/a>, RHP<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Padres finally announced their Opening Day starting pitcher earlier this week and gave Pivetta the nod after his fantastic 2025. King will get the ball on Friday, hoping to rebound from last year\u2019s injury-plagued campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/musgrjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Musgrove<\/a> will begin the season on a brief IL stint, so the back end will be rounded out by V\u00e1squez, M\u00e1rquez, and Buehler. V\u00e1squez figures to be a mainstay after his step forward last year, while M\u00e1rquez and Buehler will occupy the back end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Buehler had a better spring than M\u00e1rquez, the latter was certain to be the fifth option with his big-league contract. Until Musgrove was certain to land on the IL, Buehler <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/11\/as-opening-day-gets-closer-who-will-make-up-the-padres-starting-rotation\/\" target=\"_self\">figured to be rotation depth<\/a>, but will now open as the fifth starter on the squad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Losing out on the rotation race are offseason additions <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gonzama02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marco Gonzales<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mckentr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Triston McKenzie<\/a>, alongside <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/searsjp01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">JP Sears<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/waldrma01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt Waldron<\/a>. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cannigr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Griffin Canning<\/a> will open the season on the IL while he rehabs from last season&#8217;s Achilles tear.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Most Elite Bullpen in Baseball Gets Even Better<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first full year of closer <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/millema03.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mason Miller<\/a> should prove to be one of the best parts of the Padres\u2019 season. Behind him are high-leverage relievers <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/e\/estraje01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremiah Estrada<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/morejad01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adrian Morejon<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/morgada01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Morgan<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/peralwa01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wandy Peralta<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hartky01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Hart<\/a> will serve as relievers who can cover multiple innings for the Friars serviceably. They\u2019ll figure to be called on when the starters get bounced early.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adamja01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Adam<\/a> will open the season with a brief IL stint despite hoping to be on the Opening Day roster. Alongside him is <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/matsuyu01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yuki Matsui<\/a>, who is still rehabbing after a groin injury that sidelined him from participating in the World Baseball Classic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That leaves two spaces open for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rodribr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bradgley Rodriguez<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/marinro01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ron Marinaccio<\/a>. The former is a top prospect who impressed last season and this spring for the club. The latter served as a dominant reliever in Team Italy\u2019s historic WBC run.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br style=\"font-weight: 400;\" \/>Main Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MLB regular season is finally upon us. The San Diego Padres have announced their 26-man roster, and with a few surprises included, the Friars are ready for the 2026 season. Plenty of Surprises as Padres Announce Opening Day Roster The Position Races Finally End With Sung-Mun Song beginning the season with a short stint [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5784,"featured_media":115520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,1071,35],"tags":[29017,1438,28481,3111,1490,1094,3008,28682,29293,5099],"class_list":["post-116701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-padres","category-mlb","category-news","tag-freddy-fermin","tag-gavin-sheets","tag-mason-miller","tag-michael-king","tag-miguel-andujar","tag-nick-castellanos","tag-nick-pivetta","tag-randy-vasquez","tag-sung-mun-song","tag-ty-france"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5784"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116701"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116714,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116701\/revisions\/116714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}