San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (Photo by fifg on Shutterstock)
,

Best Padres Players Of All Time: Top 5 Legendary San Diego Athletes, According To Fans

October 11, 2023
by Matthew Sherdan

San Diego is known for its stunning beaches, world-class zoo, and Major League Baseball (MLB) team – the Padres. The Padres were founded in 1969 and since have won two National League (NL) pennants. Although the team hasn’t won a World Series, the Padres have a rich history filled with some fantastic players. Undoubtedly, many greats have come through the organization, but only a few can be called the best Padres players of all time. 

Speaking of great franchises and their players, a recent study suggests fans prefer championship teams comprised of homegrown talent instead of teams stacked with pricey free agents. Researchers at the University of Kansas surveyed 1,500 Americans about their sports team preferences. They found that sports fans prefer championship teams comprised of drafted or “homegrown” players as opposed to teams with rosters comprised of expensive free-agent players. Apparently, sports fans appreciate the hard work and dedication it takes to build a championship team from the ground up. 

Whether your favorite team is winning championships or not, attending a live sporting event is really good for your mental health. A recent study found that going to live sporting events can boost your mental health as much as getting a job. A survey out of England found that respondents who recently attended a live sporting event – professional or otherwise – also scored better in terms of ‘life satisfaction’ than those who had not recently been to a game. The survey of 7,000 adults is the first of its kind to examine the mental health benefits of attending sporting events. Overall, sports fans claim that watching live events makes them feel more ‘worthwhile’ and leaves them feeling satisfied. A mental health boost is certainly a great reason to get out to sunny San Diego and enjoy a Padres game in the near future. 

So, which players are considered the most talented in the history of the franchise? StudyFinds did the research, consulting 10 sports and baseball-oriented websites in an effort to bring you the consensus best Padres players of all time. Our list comprises the five most frequently listed top five Padres from across these sites. Think one of your favorite Padres players was left off? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!

image of second base at ground level
Baseball base (Photo by Darrin Moore on Unsplash)

The List: Best Padres Players, According to Sports Experts

1. Tony Gwynn (1982-2001)

Easily topping the list of the best players in San Diego Padres franchise history is none other than Tony Gwynn. Gwynn is undoubtedly one of the best pure hitters in MLB history and he played his entire career in a Padres uniform. 

“A historical conversation about the San Diego Padres simply cannot begin anywhere other than with Tony Gwynn, who served as the face of the franchise for two decades and holds virtually every club record aside from home runs… Gwynn’s resume essentially speaks for itself. He finished his career with a .338/.388/.459 slash line and 763 extra-base hits. He won an incredible eight batting titles, made 15 All-Star teams, took home seven Silver Slugger awards and even earned five Gold Gloves,” explains Yardbarker. 

The list of Tony Gwynn’s stats and overall greatness goes on. In retrospect, Gwynn’s career was typically overshadowed by the big, hulking power hitters of his era. The fact that Gwynn never brought home an NL MVP award is baffling, to say the least, but he’ll forever be remembered as one of the game’s best contact hitters.  

“Tony Gwynn, also known as Mr. Padre, is far and away the greatest player in the franchise’s history, and it isn’t particularly close. One of the best pure contact hitters in the game, Gwynn hit above .300 in every season but his rookie campaign in 1982, in which he only played in 54 games. Gwynn never won an MVP, but he was an absolute machine at the plate. He led the league in batting average eight times, and he very nearly hit for .400 in 1994, finishing with a .394 average, which is just absurd. Gwynn played elite defense in right field as well, and his legacy with the team is untouchable,” writes Clutch Points. 

Gwynn hit over .330 for his career, which is a career average that we’ll likely never see again in MLB. But, perhaps the most impressive stat from Gwynn’s Hall of Fame career is his strikeout totals or lack thereof. Gwynn only struck out 434 times in his entire career! There are hitters who strike out as many or more times as Gwynn in a season, not to mention a 20-year career. 

“Gwynn hit .338 over a 20-year career, locking up his Hall of Fame induction on the first ballot in 2007 with 97.6 percent of the vote. Mr. Padre led the National League in hitting a record-tying eight times, including a career-high .394 average in the strike-shortened 1994 season and three other seasons at .368 or better. Gwynn had 3,141 career hits, and he had over 200 hits in a season five times. Perhaps most impressive of all, however, is that Gwynn struck out just 434 times in his career, an average of once every 5.6 games,” furthers How They Play. 

2. Trevor Hoffman (1993-2008)

Next up on the list of the best players in Padres history is legendary closing pitcher Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman was one of the premier closing pitchers in the entire league during his time with the Padres. 

“The San Diego Padres raised concerns in the summer of 1993 when they traded Gary Sheffield to Florida, but one of the players they received in return was Trevor Hoffman, a rookie reliever who would become the best Relief Pitcher in National League history. Hoffman would become their closer the following year, and he would soon prove himself as a dominating presence. He would enter the game to the ominous opening of AC/DC‘s Hells Bells, and in 1998, he led the NL in Saves (53) and took the Padres to the World Series,” writes Not in Hall of Fame. 

Sheffield turned out to be a great player for several MLB teams, but the Padres clearly saw something in Hoffman to make that type of trade. Hoffman delivered as a Padre, and when his aforementioned entrance music hit the loudspeakers in San Diego, opposing hitters knew it was all but over. 

“As a Padre, Hoffman finished runner-up in National League Cy Young Award voting in both 1998 and 2006, and ultimately made six All-Star appearances. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader among pitchers in saves (552), ERA (2.76), WHIP (1.043) and FIP (2.93). Hoffman — whose 601 career saves are second in MLB history — was elected to the Hall of Fame as a Padre in 2018. His No. 51 is retired by the Padres,” explains Audacy. 

For the record, Hoffman would come out to “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC while Mariano Rivera of the Yankees would come out to “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. The two dominant closers would forever be linked as the two best MLB closers of their era. Hoffman would eventually wear a Padres cap in Cooperstown, and he’s forever enshrined as a San Diego legend.   

“Known for his electric entrance, his world-class changeup, plus his ability to shut the door in the 9th Inning, Trevor is the only Closer who has 600 or more saves. And while Mariano Rivera is right on his tracks, the Padres didn’t have a 200 Million dollar payroll to work with. Trevor should be regarded as the better closer of the two,” furthers Bleacher Report. 

3. Dave Winfield (1973-1980)

The next spot on the list of the best players in the history of the Padres organization belongs to Dave Winfield. Winfield’s time with the Padres wasn’t as extensive as some of the other players on this list, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. Winfield was an amazing athlete who had the potential to dominate in a range of sports, not just baseball. 

“Dave Winfield became a Hall of Famer, but his legendary career that started in San Diego almost never happened. Winfield is one of six athletes to ever be selected in a draft in three different professional sports (he was also selected by the NBA‘s Atlanta Hawks and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings), but he chose to build a baseball career. The first eight seasons of that career were spent in San Diego, where he established himself as a power-hitting outfielder,” explains How They Play. 

Winfield was clearly one of the best athletes of his generation, and although he had his choice of professional sports leagues, the All-Star chose to pursue his career in baseball. Padres fans were glad he did. Winfield’s ability to hit for power and play his position contributed to his impressive career in San Diego. 

“Dave Winfield was the fourth overall pick of the 1973 MLB draft by the Padres. The right fielder made his debut for San Diego later that year. Winfield had a 32.0 WAR (wins above replacement) during his eight seasons with the Padres. The Padre made his first of four All-Star appearances with the franchise in 1977. Winfield hit 25 homers and had 97 runs batted in that season,” explains Rookie Road. 

Not all top MLB draft picks live up to expectations, but Winfield more than delivered for the Padres right from the beginning. Winfield eventually left San Diego, but when his career was all said and done, the right fielder went into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Padres – he was the first. 

“As a Padre, Winfield made four All-Star teams, was a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and finished third in National League MVP in 1979. While Winfield actually spent slightly longer as a New York Yankee, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Padre in 2001, becoming the first player to wear a San Diego cap in Cooperstown,” furthers Audacy. 

4. Jake Peavy (2002-2009)

Hurling his way into the fourth spot on the list of the best Padres is none other than Jake Peavy. He was a dominant starting pitcher for the Padres, and although he went on to have success with several other MLB teams, Peavy began his career in San Diego. Padres fans had a front-row seat to one of the greatest stretches of pitching the league has ever seen.  

“Right-hander Jake Peavy debuted for the Padres as a 21-year-old in 2002, and in just his second full big-league season delivered the best ERA in the major leagues. Peavy would start 212 games in a San Diego uniform, pitching to a 3.29 ERA across 1,342.2 innings and striking out 1,348 hitters. The Mobile, Alabama native represented the Friars in two All-Star Games and took home a second ERA title in 2007. That ’07 season proved to be the highlight of Peavy’s career, as he ended up winning the pitching Triple Crown and walking away with his first and only Cy Young award that year,” explains Yardbarker. 

Jake Peavy
“Jake Peavy 03” by SD Dirk is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Peavy was a perennial All-Star who seemingly always posted one of the lowest ERAs in the majors. In fact, Peavy is the only Padres pitcher to win the coveted Triple Crown and his legacy in San Diego is unmatched as a result. 

“Peavy announced himself to the world in 2004 when he led the majors with a 2.27 ERA. Peavy was an All-Star in 2005 before struggling in 2006, paving the way for a historic 2007 campaign that saw him win the pitching triple crown and the NL Cy Young award (19-6, 2.54 ERA, 240 K, 1.06 WHIP). Peavy eventually found his way off the lowly Padres, but he was never as good as he was to start his career with San Diego, and his 2007 season will continue to be regarded as one of the greatest recent seasons of pitching for quite some time,” furthers Clutch Points. 

Peavy was truly dominant during his time with the San Diego Padres. He was drafted in the 15th round and had to put in a few seasons in the minors. However, after a few seasons in the minor leagues, Peavy made his big league debut for the team and it was clear he had arrived.  

“He spent just four years in the Padre farm system, and made the MLB team in June of 2002. Just three years later, Peavy made the NL All-Star team, which was his first of three. His pitching career in San Diego reached its peak in 2007… In a contract year, Peavy was dealt on the Trading Deadline to the Chicago White Sox for four prospects… Jake, who had a 92-68 Record, 3.29 ERA, and 1,348 K, will forever go down as an all-time Padre great,” adds Bleacher Report. 

5. Andy Ashby (1993-1999, 2004)

Rounding out the list of the best Padres players in franchise history is none other than Andy Ashby. He landed in San Diego in 1993 and put together some of the best seasons of his career while pitching for the Padres. Ashby’s consistency and endurance on the mound truly help make him one of the best pitchers in Padres history. 

“Andy Ashby signed as an undrafted free agent in 1986 with the Phillies. The starter made his MLB debut with Philadelphia in 1991 and was traded to the Padres by the 1993 trade deadline. Ashby had 22.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in his eight seasons in San Diego. The righty had quality seasons from 1994 to 1996. Ashby allowed less than 3.5 runs per nine innings in each of the three seasons. The starter was eighth in the National League with 150 strikeouts in 1995,” explains Rookie Road. 

Ashby was actually part of a three-team trade that also involved Colorado. Regardless, Ashby turned out to be a consistent and reliable pitcher for the Padres during a time when the team needed it most. Ashby never really blew people away on the mound, but he was a solid starter during one of the toughest MLB eras – the steroid era. 

“Ashby was an All-Star twice during the height of The Steroid Era, reaching the midsummer classic in 1998 and 1999 even during an especially unforgiving time to be a pitcher. As a Padre, Ashby pitched 190 or more innings on four separate occasions, and led the National League in complete-game shutouts (three) in 1999,” furthers Audacy. 

In today’s MLB, pitchers rarely throw a complete game not alone a complete game shutout. Ashby wasn’t overpowering hitters, but he was crafty on the mound, knew how to get batters out, and possessed great endurance to go the distance for his team. As a result, Ashby is remembered as one of the best players to ever wear a Padres uniform. 

“Crowder College product Andy Ashby was the player to be named later in a 1993 trade with Colorado, and the Rockies certainly ended up regretting dealing him to a division rival. In parts of eight seasons in San Diego, Ashby pitched to a 3.59 ERA in 1,212 innings while twice qualifying for the All-Star team. He was never really considered an ace, but Ashby was consistently a solid member of the Padres’ rotation, and gave the club over 200 innings three years in a row from ’97-’99,” adds Yardbarker. 

You might also be interested in:

Sources:

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Tags: