[1] The Padres were coming off a season in which they made it to the 2022 NLCS and an offseason in which they signed prized free agent Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year deal.

[2] Furthermore, the Padres anticipated that their star shortstop and right fielder, Fernando Tatis Jr., would return to the team on April 20 after missing the entire 2022 season due to an injury and an 80-game suspension.

In fact, several observers, analysts, and pundits predicted that the Padres would win the division over the perennial favorite Los Angeles Dodgers, who had won the NL West in nine of the previous ten seasons.

They disappointingly hovered around or below a .500 winning percentage for much of the season, and despite a strong September, the Padres missed the playoffs.

Source: MLB Standings Grid – 2023 Updated with the results of all games through October 1, 2023.