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Padres Press Clips Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Article Source Author Page

Padres mailbag: Was moving on from Bud Black the right UT San Diego Lin 2

decision?

Facial fractures sidelining Padres prospect Josh Naylor UT San Diego Sanders 4

Myers, Padres looking for your All-Star vote MLB.com Cassavell 6

Inbox: Which Padres prospects are on deck? MLB.com Cassavell 7

Padres happy to be home after rough start Padres.com Center 9

This Day in Padres History, 5/1 Friar Wire Center 11

Padres On Deck: Romak, Buss, Reyes Deliver in Big Innings Friar Wire Center 12

for Padres’ Affiliates

Padres Myers Finishes Hot Month NBC 7 Togerson 14

Bud Black returns to San Diego as Rockies manager STATS STATS 15

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Padres mailbag: Was moving on from Bud Black the right decision? Dennis Lin

Welcome to the first installment of our Padres mailbag. San Diego’s professional baseball team made it through April with an 11-16 record that is far from surprising. The Padres are in the midst of an unabashed rebuild, had just one off-day during the month and played a majors-high 18 games on the road, going 6-12 in those contests.

Yet, they are 10-10 against National League West opponents, Wil Myers is justifying his contract extension and Austin Hedges seems like he’ll be an OK big-league catcher. There have been and will continue to be things worth discussing in 2017.

For future mailbags, please submit questions to my Twitter account (@sdutdennislin) or via email (dennis.lin@sduniontribune.com). Now, let’s get to some answers.

In hindsight, was moving on from Bud Black the right move? Is Andy Green a good fit for this roster? —Elizabeth P.

On Tuesday, Black, manager of the Colorado Rockies, will be an active participant at Petco Park for the first time since he was fired nearly two years ago. Since his ousting in San Diego, the Padres have gone 121-165, winning just 42.3 percent of their games. In eight-plus seasons under Black, they won 47.7 percent of their games, though they never seized a playoff berth.

Such a simplistic comparison lacks context, of course. In August of 2014, the Padres hired A.J. Preller as their general manager. The directive was to build a sustainable base of homegrown talent like San Diego had never seen. But first, in a move that would flop and set back their timeline for reaching contention, the Padres went for it. They opened their ambitious 2015 season with Black, a veteran and well-liked manager, guiding a roster filled with talent, if light on cohesiveness.

Fact is, the majority of skippers don’t stick around long after a front-office overhaul. Black proved an exception, as Preller was the fourth Padres GM he worked under, but it came time for new blood. Green is earning rave reviews for his baseball acumen and ability to connect with the youth the Padres are now fielding. It remains too soon to judge his tenure, however.

If anything, the Padres’ primary misstep involved timing and personnel. Pat Murphy, who had never coached or managed in the majors, was promoted to the interim job in 2015. The choice didn’t work out, for Murphy or the Padres. Black or then-bench coach Dave Roberts would have been better-equipped to keep the clubhouse on an even keel throughout the rest of the season.

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So far, Black is receiving widespread praise for his work with the talented, division-leading Rockies. He and Green are different people and managers, but the Padres’ current skipper also appears to recognize the value of never getting too high or too low.

Luis Robert’s private workout with the Padres is another event scheduled for Tuesday. Some of the organization’s top scouts have tracked the 19-year-old Cuban outfielder for a while, but this will be the Padres’ opportunity for some one-on-one interaction.

I’d expect Preller’s baseball-operations group to make a recommendation to ownership after the workout, but for now, the Padres are among a handful of favorites to sign Robert. Since July 2, they have paced the field in spending on international amateurs, including the top Cuban players. And starting this July, they won’t be able to offer any prospect more than $300,000 for two signing periods.

That said, the Padres have to decide how much they really like Robert’s upside. Many believe he will cost the winning bidder more than $20 million, including a 100 percent overage tax. In an environment of scarcity, a prospect’s true talent can be wildly exaggerated. A recent, anonymous comment by one American League scouting director, calling Robert “the best player on the planet,” has drawn guffaws around the industry.

If he cuts down on the strikeout rate, Travis Jankowski’s most valued tool — game-changing speed in the field and on the basepaths — should be a significant asset. But after a sluggish beginning to the season, he has landed on the shelf. He’s expected to miss at least four more weeks with an extensive bone bruise in his right foot.

By the time Jankowski returns — and bone bruises, especially for a player who relies on his legs, can take a lot of time — another sidelined left fielder Alex Dickerson could be back and producing. Travis is indeed an extremely pleasant person and could be a weapon on any team, but his latest injury represents a huge blow to his chances of being a contributor this season.

Right-handed pitching prospect Dinelson Lamet isn’t on the 40-man roster, but I suspect he will be sometime this season. Entering his Monday night start for Triple-A El Paso, he had a 0.45 ERA and a 12.6 strikeouts-per-nine rate in four outings. The 24-year-old’s fastball-slider combo should play, in some capacity, in the majors. If and when the Padres need to reach down a level for a starter this season, Lamet may very well be the first option.

As athletic and versatile as Cory Spangenberg is, that’d be a tall task. Green will continue manipulating the lineup before Dickerson or Jankowski returns. Until then, Spangenberg will see more time in left, just not every day. It’s not an easy situation, albeit one Schimpf and Spangenberg have handled with class. They can impact games in different ways, but both are left-handed hitters who primarily play third base. Preller might be making some calls this summer.

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Facial fractures sidelining Padres prospect Josh Naylor

Jeff Sanders

First base prospect Josh Naylor sustained non-displaced orbital/facial fractures when a pickoff throw struck him in the right cheek Saturday night, General Manager A.J. Preller said.

Team physician Catherine Robertson reviewed X-rays with the 19-year-old Naylor on Monday in San Diego. He will be reevaluated in in seven to 10 days.

“The kid wants to play now,” Preller said by phone Monday night.

Of course he does.

Ranked No. 10 in the organization by Baseball America, Naylor had hit in 15 of 16 games to raise his average from .161 to .306 when Lake Elsinore left-hander Eric Lauer’s pickoff throw with runners on first and third caught Naylor in the cheek as he was breaking toward the plate.

Naylor leads the high Single-A Storm with five homers and 23 RBIs through 23 games. A year earlier, Naylor paired three homers and 21 RBIs with a .252/.264/.353 batting line in 33 games in the California League after the Padres acquired him from the Marlins in the Andrew Cashner trade.

“Everything he was hitting he was hitting hard,” Storm manager Edwin Rodriguez said Monday afternoon. “He was having very good at-bats. He was not swinging at bad pitches. He might only be out a week. It might be 10 days. I think he’ll be all right.”

Naylor said he was feeling good but declined to discuss the injury after Lake Elsinore’s 2-1 win.

His injury is the second significant one to strike the Storm’s cache of Padres prospects.

Right-hander Anderson Espinoza, ranked No. 1 in the organization by Baseball America, opened the season on the DL with forearm tightness and was moved back to extended spring training after experiencing continued discomfort upon restarting a throwing program.

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (12-13)

Salt Lake 9, Chihuahuas 4: RHP Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 2.52) walked a season-high five batters en route to allowing six runs in five innings, while converted RHP Christian Bethancourt (7.71) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. DH Nick Buss (.438) hit his first homer and drove in two runs and 1B Jamie Romak extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a double in four at-bats.

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DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (11-13)

Missions 10, Midland 0: RHP Brett Kennedy (1-1, 6.33) struck out four over seven shutout innings of three-hit ball. 2B Jose Rondon (.226) drove in two runs on his first homer, CF Nick Schulz (.310) drove in two on his eighth and DH Alberth Martinez (.282) went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a double and his second homer.

HIGH SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (11-14)

Storm 2, Rancho Cucamonga 1: LHP Joey Lucchesi (0.96) – the reigning Cal League Pitcher of the Week – set a career-high with nine strikeouts while allowing one run on three hits and a walk over seven innings, also a career-high. The first of those strikeouts was against Dodgers rehabber Joc Pederson, who also walked and grounded out against Lucchesi. DH Carlos Belen singled in a run and walked three times in his 2017 debut and LF Taylor Kohlwey (.247) hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth, scoring SS Javier Guerra (.174) after his one out double started the game-winning rally. RHP Colby Blueberg (2.08) struck out two and walked one in the top of the ninth for the win.

Health update

RHP Jose Ruiz is also on Lake Elsinore’s seven-day DL with triceps soreness. Pitching coach Glendon Rusch estimated Monday that he was perhaps another bullpen away from returning. Ruiz has allowed six runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings with the Storm.

RHP Jake Esch was placed on San Antonio’s seven-day disabled list (retroactive to April 29) with forearm tightness. The 27-year-old is 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in 15 innings in the Texas League.

Note

Fort Wayne (9-15) was idle. RHP Jesse Scholtens (1-1, 3.04) will get start Tuesday in Quad Cities.

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Myers, Padres looking for your All-Star

vote By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | May 1st, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tony Gwynn started back-to-back All-Star Games in 1997 and '98. No Padre has

done so since.

This summer, first baseman Wil Myers has the chance to do just that. On Monday, Major League

Baseball unveiled the ballot for the 2017 All-Star Game presented by MasterCard at Marlins Park in

Miami. Myers -- who served as the National League's designated hitter last year in San Diego -- is among

eight Padres on the ballot.

Young outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe grace the ballot for the first time. So, too, does

catcher Austin Hedges.

In the infield, second baseman Yangervis Solarte, shortstop Erick Aybar and third baseman Ryan

Schimpf join Myers. Left fielder Travis Jankowski rounds out the three Padres outfielders on the ballot.

Fans may cast votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- on computers, tablets and

smartphones -- exclusively online using the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot until Thursday,

June 29, at 11:59 p.m. ET. On smartphones and tablets, fans can also access the ballot via the MLB.com

At Bat and MLB.com Ballpark mobile apps. Vote up to five times in any 24-hour period for a maximum

of 35 ballots cast.

Following the announcement of the 2017 All-Star starters, reserves and pitchers, fans should return to

MLB.com and cast their 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote for the final player on each

league's All-Star roster. Then on Tuesday, July 11, while watching the 2017 All-Star Game presented by

MasterCard live on FOX, fans may visit MLB.com to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most

Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet with the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote.

The 88th Midsummer Classic, at Marlins Park in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in

Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN

Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage, while MLB Network,

MLB.com and SiriusXM will have comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about

MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @AllStarGame

on social media.

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Inbox: Which Padres prospects are on

deck?

Beat reporter AJ Cassavell answers fans' questions

By AJ Cassavell / MLB.com | @AJCassavell | May 1st, 2017

SAN DIEGO -- Following last year's youth movement, Padres fans have clearly spent time investing in

the team's future. That much is evident in this week's Inbox.

Which starting pitchers are on the verge of a big league call? When (and where) will Luis Urias make an

impact? In this installment, we take a look at those questions and more.

Who will be the best player on the team two years from now?

-- Kevin G., Austin, Texas

Lots of good options here. Wil Myers will be in his prime, doing the same kinds of things he's doing now.

You know, like recording 35 hits -- 16 for extra bases -- over 27 games in April. He's clearly the safest

bet, because he's already proven what he's capable of doing.

I'll take a bit of a different path. Myers will still be an All-Star-caliber first baseman in 2019. But Austin

Hedges and Manuel Margot play positions that are far more valuable to the club. I expect all three to be

in the discussion, but I'll take Margot, who opened the season as the Padres' top prospect, but recently

graduated from MLB Pipeline's list. He's quickly proving he's the real deal.

Who do you see as the first starter prospect called up?

-- Chris, San Diego

A month ago, I would've answered this question without hesitation. Clearly it was Walker Lockett. The

22-year-old right-hander held his own against big league opposition in Spring Training, and when he

faced the Padres in a Lake Elsinore scrimmage at the end of camp, he allowed one run over five innings.

But the recent performance of Dinelson Lamet has changed things a bit. San Diego's No. 10 prospect has

been practically unhittable with Triple-A El Paso this season. In four starts (20 innings), he's allowed two

runs on 12 hits, while striking out 28. Lamet profiles better as an option to work out of the 'pen, increasing

his chances of a big league callup, so I'll give him the slight edge.

Will we see a no-hitter this year? Who has the best shot at one?

-- Kim G.

Regarding the first question, the answer is no, Kim. You've jinxed it.

Just kidding; jinxes aren't real. But statistical probabilities are, and it's statistically unlikely that we'll see a

no-hitter by the Padres in 2017. (That said, it's also statistically unlikely that San Diego would have gone

7,679 games without one. It's got to happen at some point, right? Right?)

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I'll play along with the next part of the question. I'm going to rule out Luis Perdomo and Clayton

Richard, simply because they pitch to contact too frequently. At some point, a hard-hit ground ball is

bound to sneak through the Padres' infield.

Both Jhoulys Chacin and Trevor Cahill have showed off swing-and-miss stuff at times this season. I'll

take Chacin, because Cahill is coming off two seasons spent primarily as a reliever.

When do you think we'll see Luis Urias with the Padres?

-- Mario S., San Marcos, Calif.

Urias, as he has done at every level in the Padres' system, is tearing up the Double-A Texas League. He's

hitting .330 and earned Player of the Week honors after going 12-for-22 from April 17-23. Oh yeah, he's

19.

As it stands, San Diego is attempting to see whether Urias -- primarily a second baseman -- can handle

shortstop. Thus far, the results are mixed, but clearly he profiles better at second. Regarding a potential

callup, it's not a stretch to say he's a late-season option -- like Margot last September. He's going to have

to keep raking, though. Given his youth, the Padres are in no rush.

Are the Padres so deep at some Minor League positions that they could trade for a Major League

guy before the Deadline, regardless of the standings?

-- CJ

The Padres' Minor League system is deep across the board; there's not really a deficiency at any position.

That said, the front office has made it very clear that it won't sacrifice the future for the present.

If San Diego can land a young Major League-ready shortstop, maybe it would trade one of its second-tier

prospects. But the Padres would only do so if they viewed said player as more valuble in the long term

than the short term.

In case the rest of this Inbox wasn't clear enough -- it's all about the future in San Diego.

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Padres happy to be home after rough start

Notes on Myers, Sanchez, bullpen

By Bill Center / San Diego Padres | May 1st, 2017

The Padres have Monday off.

Finally.

The Padres' 12-inning, 5-2 win at San Francisco Sunday -- thanks to homers by Hector Sanchez and Wil

Myers -- capped perhaps the toughest schedule stretch in the Major Leagues for the first month of the

season.

The Padres are 11-16 after the season's first 27 games. No team in the Major Leagues has played more

games.

And 18 of the Padres' first 27 games were on the road. Again, no Major League team has played more

road games in April.

After Monday's day off -- only their second of the season -- the Padres return to Petco Park to open an

eight-game homestand with the first of three games with National League West-leading Colorado.

Fifteen of the Padres' next 20 games are at Petco Park. And the Padres will play 18 home games in May

and another 16 in June. Thirty-five of the Padres' next 55 games are at Petco Park - representing an

excellent opportunity for a young team.

Meanwhile, the Padres came from behind both Saturday and Sunday to take the three-game series from

the Giants in San Francisco.

Remember last season, when the Padres lost their first nine games of the season against the Giants? Well,

they are 12-4 in the 16 games since then against the Giants, and are 4-2 against San Francisco this season.

Another area where the Padres have improved was the disturbing trifecta of Sundays, day games and

series finales. Last season, the Padres were 6-20 on Sundays, 15-35 in day games and 12-40 in the final

games of series.

While Sunday's win was only their first in four Sunday games this season, the Padres are 3-5 in day

games and 3-5 in the final games of their eight series to date.

GAME NOTES:

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• The Padres' bullpen worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday, keeping the Padres in position to win. Over

those 6 2/3 innings, four relievers allowed only two hits and no walks with six strikeouts. Left-

hander Brad Hand struck out two in two perfect innings to lower his earned run average to 0.69 (one run

on five hits and three walks with 15 strikeouts in 13 innings). Left-hander Ryan Buchter (3.09 ERA)

worked two scoreless innings. Right-hander Brandon Maurer lowered his ERA to 2.61 with 1 2/3

scoreless innings, and left-hander Jose Torres picked up his first career save with a perfect 12th.

• You can argue that the Padres' biggest at-bats in their two come-from-behind wins in San Francisco

were the two, three-run homers by Myers - the first capping the eight-run sixth-inning Saturday, and the

second being the game-winner in Sunday's 12-inning, 5-2 win. But you can make arguments for the two

at-bats by pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez, who drew a bases-loaded walk Saturday to put the Padres ahead,

then tied Sunday's game with a two-run homer in the ninth.

• Sanchez's pinch-hit homer Sunday was the Padres' first game-tying homer in the ninth inning or later

since Adrian Gonzalez on Sept. 16, 2009. Sanchez now has two homers against his former Giants

teammates.

• Myers finished April hitting .310 with 35 hits, seven doubles, two triples, seven homers, 20 RBIs and 18

runs scored.

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This Day in Padres History, 5/1

Founding President and Padres Hall of Famer Buzzie

Bavasi died on May 1, 2008

By Bill Center

May 1, 1993 — Right fielder Tony Gwynn and third baseman Gary Sheffield each has four hits as the Padres defeat the Mets at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Gwynn is 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Sheffield is 4-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.

May 1, 2001 — Third baseman Phil Nevin and catcher Ben Davis each drive in four runs in the Padres 10–3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Nevin hit a grand slam homer. Davis had a three-run homer.

May 1, 2006 — The Padres acquired catcher Josh Bard and relief pitcher Cla Meredith from Boston for catcher Doug Mirabelli.

May 1, 2007 — Right-handed pitchers Chris Young and Trevor Hoffman combine on a three-hit shutout as the Padres defeat Washington 3–0 at Petco Park. Young allowed three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. Hoffman struck out one in a perfect ninth.

May 1, 2008 — Founding Padres president and Padres Hall of Fame member E.J. “Buzzie” Bavasi dies in San Diego at the age of 93. Bavasi’s lobbying was instrumental in convincing National League owners to grant San Diego an expansion franchise in 1968. He then built the franchise from the ground up.

May 1, 2012 — Mark Kotsay hit a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the eighth and right-handers Edinson Volquez, Andrew Cashner and Houston Street combined on a three-hit shutout as the Padres defeat Milwaukee 2–0 at Petco Park.

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Padres On Deck: Romak, Buss,

Reyes Deliver in Big Innings for

Padres’ Affiliates

Tatis reaches base in 13th straight game, Naylor on

disabled list

By Bill Center

Three Padres minor league affiliates stole a page from the parent club’s eight-run inning in their win in San Francisco Saturday night with big innings Sunday.

Double-A San Antonio was down 10–1 when they scored 10 runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Midland 11–10 before a capacity crowd of 8,085 in San Antonio. Right fielder Franmil Reyes had a two-run double and a two-run homer in the 10-run inning.

Triple-A El Paso had innings of four and six runs in a 12–3 win at Salt Lake to complete a doubleheader sweep. And Single-A Fort Wayne rallied for six runs in the fifth to defeat South Bend.

Meanwhile, first baseman Josh Naylor was placed on the seven-day disabled list with unspecified injuries at Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore after being struck in the face by a pick-off throw Saturday night. At Single-A Fort Wayne, third baseman Hudson Potts was listed as day-to-day after X-rays of his left wrist were negative. Potts was hit by a pitch Thursday night and has missed three games since.

There were a number of standout individual performances Sunday throughout the system.

First baseman Jamie Romak was 5-for-8 with a double, a triple, his 11th homer and five RBIs in El Paso’s doubleheader sweep. Romak, who scored three runs, leads the Pacific Coast League in homers, is second in RBIs (25) and fourth in batting average (.372).

Left fielder Nick Buss (.464) was 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored for El Paso.

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At San Antonio, Reyes (.301) finished 4-for-4 with the double and homer for four RBIs and two runs scored.

Single-A shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. stretched his on-base streak to reaching in 13 straight games Sunday, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI to raise his batting average to .230.

Around the farm:

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (12–12) — Chihuahuas 3–12, SALT LAKE 0–3: Romak and Buss were not the only hitting leaders in the sweep. DH Jose Pirela (.322) was 2-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored. 3B Diego Goris (.242) was 2-for-6 with a RBI. RF Rafael Ortega (.328) was 2-for-8 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. 2B Carlos Asuaje (.221) was 1-for-4 with four walks and three runs scored. Starting RHP Matt Magill (2–1, 1.55 earned run average) allowed two hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five scoreless innings in the opener. RHP Carlos Fisher (7.27) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning and RHP Logan Bawcom (2.19) pitched a perfect ninth to complete the shutout and pick up his first save. RHP Tyrell Jenkins (2–2, 5.79) allowed three runs on four hits and six walks with three strikeouts in five innings to get the win in the second, seven-inning game. Rehabbing RHP Carter Capps (16.20) struck out two in a perfect inning. RHP Andre Rienzo (3.27) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (10–13) — MISSIONS 11, Midland 10: C Stephen McGee (.393) backed Reyes, going 1-fotr-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. RF Nick Torres (.224) had a double in four at-bats with a RBI and a run scored. Starting RHP Enyel De Los Santos (5.32 ERA) allowed eight runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in four innings. RHP Eric Yardley (3.52) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in two scoreless innings. RHP Cesar Vargas (1–2, 5.40) allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in an inning and was credited with the win. RHP Adam Cimber (1.50) struck out two in a perfect inning. RHP Charles Nading (1.59) struck out one in a perfect inning to get his third save.

ADVANCED SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (10–14) — INLAND EMPIRE 7, Storm 3: 1B Ty France (.268) had a double in three at-bats with two RBIs. Starting RHP Chris Huffman (1–2, 2.17 ERA) allowed seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings. RHP Gerardo Reyes (0.68) allowed two hits and a walk with a strikeout in two innings.

SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (9–15) — TIN CAPS 8, South Bend 5: RF Alan Garcia (.417) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. 3B Eguy Rosario (.238) was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a walk for an RBI and a run scored. CF Jack Suwinski (.193) was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Starting RHP Hansel Rodriguez (1–2, 3.68 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five innings. RHP Blake Rogers (0.00) allowed two unearned runs on a hit with a strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. LHP Ben Sheckler (3.68) issued a walk with a strikeout in 1 1/3 otherwise perfect innings. RHP David Bednar (3.40 ERA) issued a walk in an otherwise perfect inning to earn his first save.

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Padres Myers Finishes Hot Month All-Star 1st baseman showing signs of biggest year yet

By Derek Togerson

When Wil Myers signed his 6-year, $83 million contract the Padres expected him to be more

than just the All-Star 1st baseman he’s turned in to.

They expected him to be the leader of the team and set the tone for the youth movement the

franchise undertook. To steal a line from Swingers they wanted him to be “The guy behind the

guy behind the guy” while still becoming the face of the franchise.

It is the largest contract the Padres have ever given out and right now it’s looking like they got

a bargain, and not just because he has taken a liking to hitting giant extra-inning home runs to

beat the Giants.

Myers leads the Padres in home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, batting average, doubles,

triples, slugging percentage, OPS and bat flips. That’s not too shabby. Now, he’s striking out

at an alarming rate (29.1% in April, easily a career high) but he’s also hitting the ball harder

than he ever has. I’m about to get geeky on you so hang with for just a moment please.

After the first month of the season Myers has an ISO of .283 (ISO is a stat that measures raw

power) and his BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is a robust .384. What that means is

Myers is among the league leaders when it comes to power hitting metrics, even better than

Marlins masher Giancarlo Stanton.

Myers’ numbers this April are well above his career average for the month and traditionally

he spikes in June, suggesting the best offensive season of his career to date has commenced.

So from a purely statistical standpoint Myers is living up to his big dollar deal. But spending

time around the clubhouse you can also see the impact he’s having on the kids. Myers has

taken on more of a leadership role, answering questions that young players have and offering

advice when they’re struggling. What’s doubly good is he has not lost his general demeanor,

keeping that unflappable "never too high or too low" attitude.

As the Padres grow up on the job they need someone to be the steadying force when things

inevitably go haywire. Myers has the personality … and now the desire to be that guy.

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Bud Black returns to San Diego as Rockies manager STATSMay 2, 2017 at 12:01p ET

SAN DIEGO — The Colorado Rockies will face the San Diego Padres on Tuesday to start a three-game series.

And yes, that face does look familiar.

Rockies manager Bud Black returns to his old San Diego haunts with a nifty view. He’s pointed Colorado to first place in the National League West, and it’s always nice to brag about success when seeing former friends.

Black, however, who managed the Padres from 2007-15, isn’t one to toot his horn. But those playing taps on his managerial career were premature, as he’s resurrected the Rockies after a year in the Angels’ front office.

It’s a big deal to return for Black, who maintains a home in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. His roots were deep in the San Diego community. They trace to his college days with a career, which put him in San Diego State’s Aztec Athletic Hall of Fame, before he won 121 games in the majors as a left-handed pitcher.

“Nine years of managing in my hometown, where I live, where I went to college, brings a lot of great memories, a lot of great people,” Black told mlb.com.

Black brings with him something he seldom possessed at Petco Park: a lineup opposing pitchers must tiptoe around. When Black was going 649-713 with the Padres, there was seldom any offense for which to speak.

Now he can’t wait to fill out his card, and why not?

Trevor Cahill (1-2, 4.50) takes the challenge for the Padres to navigate an order which is long on power and powerfully lengthy. Cahill is 5-6 with a 4.44 ERA lifetime against the Rockies.

Cahill won his last decision against the Marlins on April 21. But he was uneven in his last start on Wednesday, allowing five runs in 5 2/3 innings versus the Giants. The right-hander did have a season-high nine strikeouts.

Tyler Chatwood (2-3, 4.88) gets the ball for the Rockies and he might rival Black in embracing a Petco Park start. The right-hander had two starts in San Diego last year

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and limited the Padres to one earned run in 14 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts. The Padres managed but eight hits and four walks.

Among Chatwood’s tasks are figuring out Wil Myers. Not many rival pitchers did in the first month, when 16 of Myers’ 35 hits went for extra-bases.

Myers gave the Padres a dramatic win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday with a three-run, go-ahead homer in the 12th inning.

It came despite Myers scuffling in his first five plate appearances.

“For Wil, that’s a huge step forward in that it wasn’t a great day for him offensively,” manager Andy Green told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“He swung the ball well early, didn’t have anything to show for it. He was walking through the day with an oh-fer, then steps up with a big swing late. That’s a lot of maturity, and that’s a great swing.”

The Rockies will swing through town for their first visit, which makes their skipper as any other tourist.

“I’m looking forward to going back and seeing a lot of Padre employees that have been there a long time,” said Black, the 2010 National League manager of the year with San Diego. “It’s going to be cool to see some familiar faces.”