Mark DeRosa Named Padres Most Dangerous National League Team
The San Diego Padres enter a pivotal series against the Dodgers after winning 13 of their last 14 games.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Baseball
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MLB analyst Mark DeRosa has identified the San Diego Padres as the most dangerous team in the National League as they approach the postseason. The team currently holds an 87-69 record after a dominant 14-game stretch.
Why it matters
The Padres momentum has positioned them as a major threat heading into the playoffs, where they are currently tied with the Chicago Cubs for Wild Card home field advantage. Their performance is particularly significant as they battle for seeding in a tight National League landscape.
The Padres maintained a high offensive pace, averaging 6.57 runs scored per game during their recent 13-1 stretch. They now hold a season record of 87-69, improving significantly from their 76-68 standing on Labor Day.
The players
Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa is an MLB analyst who previously played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball.
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a professional baseball team competing in the National League West division.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles that has secured a postseason berth.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a professional baseball pitcher currently playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tyler Glasnow
Tyler Glasnow is a professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The details
The Padres are entering a critical three-game series at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have already clinched their division. The Dodgers, currently holding the No. 2 seed, are scheduled to start pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow against the surging San Diego lineup.
Timeline
September 7, 2026: The Padres held a 76-68 record on Labor Day.
September 22, 2026: The Dodgers and Padres begin a three-game series.
September 2026: The 2026 MLB regular season concludes.
Season Trajectory
The late-season surge by the Padres forces a shift in the National League playoff picture, complicating the path for established division winners. This momentum creates a high-stakes competitive environment that could force teams to alter their rotation strategies before the playoffs begin.
The Padres are currently tied with the Chicago Cubs for Wild Card home field advantage, though the Cubs hold the essential tiebreaker. This makes every game in the upcoming series against the Dodgers a must-win scenario to preserve any hope of hosting a playoff series.
The takeaway
The Padres recent offensive dominance serves as a reminder that momentum often outweighs season-long records in the final weeks of the schedule. Teams that manage to peak in September frequently present the most significant challenges to top-seeded clubs in the postseason.
Further reading
For more on how teams are finishing their season, check out the Baseball section.
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