The San Diego Padres’ season came to an end on Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies won 4-3 to punch its ticket to the World Series. San Diego only won one game during the series, but the team did not go down without a fight. And two of our MLBbros did their best to contribute to a World Series run. The franchise is definitely closing the gap on the Los Angeles Dodgers and next season’s NL West race should go down to the wire. The return of Fernando Tatis will figure prominently in what happens out West in 2023.
Josh Bell: Where Will His Roller Coaster Ride End Up?
Josh Bell had a productive NLCS and had some timely and key hits at the plate. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to help his team get over that hump. In the five games against the Phillies, Bell recorded a hit in four of them. The former Washington Nationals slugger finished the series going 6-for-17 with a home run and three RBI.
He had a big performance in Game 2 as he finished with a three-hit performance as the Padres got the only win of the series that game.
During the postseason, Bell finished with a .250 batting average with two home runs and five RBI. Bell’s future in San Diego is still cloudy as he will become a free agent this summer and return to the market after signing a one-year $10M deal with the Nats last offseason before being traded in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal. The Padres could retain him, but reports say they will probably look in another direction, which is a shame because he is a great fit out there. There will be more than a couple of teams searching for a first baseman with major pop and playoff experience.
Bell’s season was a tale of two cities. The 40-year-old played at an All-Star level with the Nationals, with a strong stat line of .311/.390/.504 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI. After he was traded to the Padres, though, Bell’s production plummeted to .192/.316/.271 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 53 games, but he did help the team get into the playoffs.
Trent Grisham: You’re Hot, Then You’re Not
On the other hand, Bell’s teammate, Trent Grisham started the postseason with a bang, but slowed down a bit as the postseason progressed.
In the series against Philadelphia, Grisham went hitless in all five games. Definitely not the performance his team and fans wanted to see. After starting the postseason with a four-game hitting streak, Grisham went a disastrous 0-for-18 with nine strikeouts in the LCS against the Phillies. He finished the postseason hitting .200 with three home runs and 15 strikeouts. His regular season performance was less than expected and the Padres will give this talented outfielder at least one more season to prove himself as an everyday player. The club does have him under control for three more seasons. The 2020 Gold Glove winner hit 17 homers but batted just .184 with 150Ks.
It would have been exciting to see both of these MLBbros compete in the World Series and potentially win their first title. But it was good to see them make it as far as they did, laying the groundwork for an even better 2023.
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