The Oakland Athletics were the team of the early 70s, but they went into a cost-cutting mode in 1976, jettisoning their stars through various methods.  One of those players was Rollie Fingers, one of the most influential closers in baseball history and the owner of the most iconic mustaches in sports.

Fingers signed with San Diego after the aforementioned bicentennial year and remained a top closer.  A Padre for four years, Fingers was named the National League Rolaids Reliever of the Year in three of them, led the league in Saves twice, and compiled 108 Saves in total with San Diego.

Fingers was traded to St. Louis after the 1980 Season and was traded four days later to Milwaukee, where he won the Cy Young and closed off his career.  The Baseball Hall of Fame called his name in 1992.

Ozzie Smith would become one of the most dynamic Shortstops in history and an eventual Hall of Fame inductee with a St. Louis Cardinals cap on his plaque.  Many forget that his career began in San Diego, and realistically, he was not yet what he would become.

Smith debuted in the Majors with the Padres in 1978 and was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year, batting .258 with 40 Stolen Bases.  This was the best offensive season for Smith as a Padre, but he quickly became an elite defender.  Smith won the Gold Glove in 1980 and 1981, leading the NL in Defensive bWAR in 1980 and was second in 1979.  

As good as Smith was, the Padres were considered about his bat and traded him to St. Louis for another Shortstop, Garry Templeton.  With all due respect to Templeton, Smith's post-trade career blew away Templeton, as Smith maintained his defense and developed his offense, which Padres management likely thought was impossible.  Smith only batted .221 with sub-.300 stats in OBP and Slugging; the main reason that the Hall of Famer is ranked so low.

When creating a historical hierarchy for a Major League franchise, the exact moment an organization changes its course often hinges on a single bold decision. For the San Diego Padres, that pivotal moment came before the 2019 season. Traditionally hesitant to compete aggressively for top-tier talent, the front office broke that pattern by signing Manny Machado to a record 10-year, $300 million free-agent deal. Machado, who had already proven himself as a perennial All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles and a postseason performer with the Los Angeles Dodgers, combined Gold Glove defense with middle-of-the-order power, immediately boosting San Diego's hopes for a championship.

Machado's 2019 debut season in Southern California established a strong foundation, with 32 home runs despite adapting to a new environment and finishing with an OPS just below .800. His true status as a superstar was confirmed during the pandemic-affected 2020 season, when he delivered an exceptional offensive performance. Machado transformed his standard performance into a stellar regular-season showing, batting .304 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs over 60 games, earning his first National League Silver Slugger and finishing third in MVP voting.

Despite the 2021 Padres’ well-publicized collapse at the end of the season, Machado stayed consistent as a reliable, low-variance presence. He earned a spot in the All-Star game thanks to an impressive season with 28 home runs and 106 RBIs. His personal best and increased national attention peaked during an outstanding 2022 season. With key players absent, Machado led the team back to the playoffs by hitting .298, with 32 homers, 102 runs scored, and 109 RBIs.

His advanced efficiency filters fully disrupted Senior Circuit pitching, securing him a superb second-place finish in the National League MVP voting. After a minor, injury-affected decline in 2023 when his OPS fell to .782, he bounced back strongly in 2024, hitting 29 home runs and driving in 105 RBIs to earn his second Silver Slugger award as a Padre.

Machado begins the spring after a highly disciplined and durable 2025 season that firmly established his spot on the franchise's Mount Rushmore. Demonstrating exceptional longevity, he played 159 games last summer, recording 169 hits, 33 doubles, and 27 home runs. He drove in 95 runs and showed consistent offensive performance throughout the season, earning his seventh All-Star nod as the National League's starting third baseman and winning his third Silver Slugger award.

Debuting in 1980 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Mark Davis did not turn any heads until he was traded to the San Diego Padres during the 1987 Season (when he was with San Francisco).  Davis finished the second half of that year better than he did as a Giant, but it was nothing compared to what was to come.

Davis ascended to the Padres closing role, and he saved 28 Games with a 2.01 ERA in 1988 while going to the All-Star Game.  He had an even better 1989, and with all respect to Trevor Hoffman, Davis had one of the best seasons of any Relief Pitcher in Padres history.  Davis was an All-Star again, and he led the NL in Games Finished (65), Saves (44), and WPA (5.8).  He won the National League Cy Young Award, making Davis one of the few relievers to win that honor.

Davis' contract had expired, and he signed with Kansas City, but he was never the same Pitcher again.  He returned to the Padres during the 1993 Season but was ineffective and was released early the year after.  Davis' shine was brief, but it existed, and the Padres fans should never forget it.