Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  We are pleased to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 San Diego Padres.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Duration and Impact.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the Major League Baseball.

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Padres finished second in the National League West with a 90-72 record and made the playoffs, though they fell to the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card.  There were multiple elevations on the list for the 2025 season, along with one new entrant.  Notably, there is one new addition, but that is based on the algorithm.

As always, we present our top five, which saw significant changes.

1. Tony Gwynn
2. Trevor Hoffman
3. Jake Peavy
4. Dave Winfield
5. Fernando Tatis Jr.

You can find the entire list here.

According to the new algorithm, Jake Peavy and Dave Winfield switched their #3 and #4 rankings.

Tatis Jr., who was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner last season, moved from #7 to #5.  He was also 8th in MVP voting last year.

Notably, while Manny Machado had a good 2025 season, he did not move from the #6 spot.  He overtook former Cy Young winner Randy Jones, but Tatis Jr. passed both of them.

Jake Cronenworth went from #28 to #22.

Despite pitching sparingly in 2025, Yu Darvish benefited from the new algorithm and went up from #44 to #41.

The algorithm also brought back Gaylord Perry.  He returns at #47.

Robert Suarez, who is now an Atlanta Brave, did enough last year to enter the list.  He is at #50.

Jurickson Profar and Trent Grisham fell off the list.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 San Diego Padres.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Please note that our algorithm has changed, which yielded minor changes throughout the baseball lists.

Last year, the Padres won 93 Games and made it to the Division Series, where they lost to the eventual World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.  There were four new entrants bases on 2024, and several elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw one change based on the new algorithm.

1. Tony Gwynn

2. Trevor Hoffman

3. Dave Winfield

4. Jake Peavy

5. Randy Jones

You can find the entire list here.

Winfield moved ahead of Peavy to claim the #3 spot.

Infielder Manny Machado climbed one spot to #6.

Another Infielder, Fernando Tatis Jr., moved to #7 from #10.

The first of four new entrants is Infielder, Ha-Seong Kim, who is now with Tampa.  He enters at #25, and was erroneously left off last year’s revision.

Second Baseman Jake Cronenworth advanced to #28 from #34.

Pitcher Blake Snell, who is now with the Giants, climbed to #34 from #40.

Outfielder Jurickson Profar, who is now an Atlanta Brave, debuts at #42.

Pitcher Joe Musgrove enters at #43.

Pitcher Yu Darvish begins his Padres list at #44. 

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yu Darvish is a legendary figure in Japan and was the most sought-after international player before the 2012 season. He joined the Texas Rangers through a record posting bid, using a diverse, double-digit pitch mix to earn four All-Star selections. After notable stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, he was part of a major winter trade in December 2020, joining the San Diego Padres to lead their competitive, win-now rotation.

Darvish began his run in San Diego, turned slicing up National League bats into a strict personal routine, forming a highly seamless, productive chemistry with his personal catcher, Victor Caratini, who followed him over in the Cubs transaction. The tandem worked in perfect harmony all summer, with Darvish capturing his fifth career Major League All-Star selection during a strong debut campaign in a Padres uniform.

In 2022, Darvish posted an impressive 16–8 record, leading his team with a remarkable 3.10 ERA, an exceptional 0.95 WHIP, and 197 strikeouts over 194.2 innings. He further demonstrated outstanding composure during the 2022 postseason, securing two pivotal starts that contributed significantly to guiding the underdog Friars to an memorable appearance in the National League Championship Series. Furthermore, he ranked eighth in Cy Young Award voting for that year.

However, performance leaks that inevitably caught up to him as he advanced through his late 30s. Following a solid but abbreviated 2024 showing, his 2025 campaign turned into a highly frustrating, lopsided battle with structural efficiency. Darvish wrestled with uncharacteristic command leaks across 15 starts, finishing a bumpy 2025 stretch with a 5–5 record and a bloated 5.38 ERA over 72.0 innings.

The ultimate physical crossroads arrived late in the year when severe elbow damage forced him to undergo a complex internal brace surgery and flexor tendon repair. Darvish elected to be placed on the restricted list, gracefully foregoing his entire salary to provide the front office with critical fiscal flexibility while he dedicates himself to a grueling rehab process.

At 39, his future is uncertain, but he nevertheless did enough to earn a spot on this list.

After a remarkable and decorated stint in Nippon Professional Baseball, Yu Darvish reached Arlington before the 2012 season amid extraordinary international excitement. The Texas Rangers secured his negotiating rights with a record-breaking $51.7 million posting fee before signing him to a six-year deal. With a dazzling and diverse mix of pitches that challenged traditional expectations, Darvish quickly demonstrated that his exceptional ability to generate swings and misses successfully transferred to Major League Baseball.

His debut in the American League was an immediate hit, earning All-Star honors in each of his first three seasons. Darvish reached the pinnacle of his frontline prowess during a historic 2013 season, dominating opponents throughout the summer. He finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting, leading the majors with 277 strikeouts and posting an incredible 6.2 hits allowed per nine innings. Every time he took the mound, he made the stadium feel like a high-stakes event, nearly throwing a perfect game against Houston that April but falling short by just one out in the ninth.

Tragically, that substantial workload ultimately took a physical toll. Following a period of mild elbow inflammation in late 2014, Darvish was compelled to undergo Tommy John surgery, thereby rendering his entire 2015 season null and void.

Demonstrating remarkable resilience, he rejoined the Texas rotation in May 2016, reestablishing his frontline effectiveness by striking out 132 batters over 100.2 highly efficient innings during the concluding period. By 2017, Darvish had fully regained his elite market value, earning his fourth All-Star selection while representing the Rangers. Nevertheless, with his contract nearing its expiration and a rebuilding Texas team no longer contending for the postseason, the front office took advantage of his high trade value. At the July deadline, the Rangers transferred their ace to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for three prospects, thereby bringing a sudden end to his promising initial chapter in North America.

With the Rangers, Darvish made 122 appearances (all starts). He compiled a 52–39 record with a 3.42 ERA and a premium 1.19 WHIP. He logged 782.2 innings of work, registering 960 strikeouts against 311 walks.