San Diego Padres Roster 2023: Players, Positions and Status

The San Diego Padres are a professional baseball team based in San Diego, California. They compete in the National League (NL) West division of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Padres have won two NL pennants, in 1984 and 1998, but have never won the World Series. In 2023, the Padres finished fourth in their division with a record of 71-78, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year. The following is a list of players who appeared on the Padres’ 40-man roster during the 2023 season, along with their positions, batting and throwing hands, heights, weights, dates of birth, years of experience, and first year in MLB.

Pitchers

The Padres had 14 pitchers on their 40-man roster in 2023, including nine relievers and six starters. The pitching staff was led by left-hander Blake Snell, who posted a 3.42 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 28 starts. The Padres also acquired veteran lefty Rich Hill from the New York Mets in July, who went 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts for San Diego. The bullpen featured All-Star closer Josh Hader, who recorded 36 saves and a 1.80 ERA, along with Luis García, Scott Barlow, and Seth Lugo as reliable setup men. The Padres also had some young arms on their roster, such as Pedro Avila, Tom Cosgrove, Nick Hernandez, and Matt Waldron.

Catchers

The Padres had two catchers on their 40-man roster in 2023, but only two saw significant playing time. Luis Campusano was the primary catcher for most of the season, hitting .256 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 109 games. Brett Sullivan was his backup, batting .279 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 63 games. The Padres also had Austin Nola and Gary Sánchez on their roster, but both were injured for most of the year and combined for only 18 games.

Infielders

The Padres had six infielders on their 40-man roster in 2023, featuring some of the best hitters in the league. Manny Machado was the star third baseman, hitting .301 with 35 home runs and 105 RBIs, earning his fifth All-Star selection and fourth Silver Slugger award. Xander Bogaerts was the shortstop, batting .287 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs, making his third All-Star team and winning his third Gold Glove award. Ji-Man Choi was the first baseman, hitting .274 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs in his first season with the Padres after being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays in December 2022. Ha-Seong Kim was the second baseman, batting .265 with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs in his second season in MLB after signing from South Korea. The Padres also had Matthew Batten, Garrett Cooper, Eguy Rosario, and Matt Carpenter as utility players.

Outfielders

The Padres had five outfielders on their 40-man roster in 2023, including two of the most exciting young players in the game. Fernando Tatis Jr. was the right fielder, hitting .298 with 41 home runs and 101 RBIs, stealing 29 bases and scoring 116 runs. He made his third All-Star team and won his second Silver Slugger award and his first Gold Glove award. Juan Soto was the left fielder, batting .312 with 38 home runs and 112 RBIs, drawing a league-leading 121 walks and posting a .438 on-base percentage. He also made his third All-Star team and won his second Silver Slugger award. Trent Grisham was the center fielder, hitting .259 with 22 home runs and 66 RBIs, stealing 20 bases and playing excellent defense. He won his second Gold Glove award and made his first All-Star team. Jurickson Profar and José Azocar were the backup outfielders for the Padres.

Designated Hitters

The Padres had one designated hitter on their 40-man roster in 2023: Ji-Man Choi. Choi split time between first base and DH for the Padres, hitting .274 with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs in total. He was especially effective as a DH, batting .291 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs in that role.

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