A new outlook suggests the Padres are close. It also hints at what could quietly derail them.
The San Diego Padres don’t have to pretend anymore. Their entire World Series argument is built in the shadow of one opponent — and honestly, that’s not a weakness. It’s the point.
For years, the Dodgers have been the loudest, richest, most relentless measuring stick in the NL West. And whether San Diego wants to admit it or not, the Padres have been shaped by that presence.