How Valuable is a 33-Year-Old Ace’s Return to the 2026 Padres?
Every little bit matters at this point in the 2026 MLB Season. The postseason is rapidly approaching with just about 15 regular-season contests remaining. That means it’s crunch time for competing teams and teams in the postseason bubble. The 2026 Padres are blessed enough to be in the contending category. That statement seemed quite unfeasible in the early half of summer, defined by a brutal stretch in which the team dropped below .500 for a short period of time. Nonetheless, a late-summer surge saw the Padres vault back into playoff contention. Now, they sit at the third National League Wild Card spot with a 0.5-game lead over the division rival Diamondbacks. An elite bullpen, timely hitting, and the resurgence of a three-time all-star have pushed the Padres into a team worth mentioning when discussing the hottest teams in baseball, but one return has made the Friars even stronger.
Instant Impact
Ahead of the 2025 season, the Padres utilized their one big free-agent signing on Nick Pivetta. The Friars penned the right-hander to a four-year, $55 million deal. Pivetta wasn't expected to be the ace of the staff; other arms like Michael King would carry that burden, but the lanky pitcher stole the show. The 33-year-old starter had a career year in 2025, earning Cy Young votes courtesy of a 99th-percentile pitching run value. The Canadian-born pitcher did everything right, posting quality strikeout numbers with 190 strikeouts in 181.2 innings pitched. His run prevention was among the best in MLB, as he qualified for the 10th-best ERA in all of baseball with a 2.87 figure. The success made it easy to expect sunshine and rainbows entering 2026, while underlying metrics showed a possible regression. Although the true ERA was lovely, Pivetta’s expected ERA was in the 51st percentile, largely stemming from his 22nd percentile hard-hit rate allowed. Nonetheless, those were expectations entering 2026.
Bump in the Road
After being named the Padres opening day starter, the right-hander started off his season with a brutal six-earned-run performance against the Tigers. Though the initial start hurt, Pivetta responded with back-to-back starts, allowing just two earned runs in 10 innings of work; he also struck out 16 batters in those 10 innings. It appeared to be going even better through three innings of the starter's next appearance until he was suddenly pulled off the mound. San Diego got awful news: The nine-year MLB veteran injured his elbow; no matter the severity, losing a needed starter to elbow trouble is never ideal. After a long IL stint, San Diego's starter made his return, pitching five scoreless innings against the Nationals on September 7th. His immediate impact made one thing apparent: the Friars are going to need him down the stretch. In a pitching staff decimated by injuries, Pivetta’s return is incredibly valuable. Combine this with just 15 regular-season games remaining, and you get an absolute need for a Padres rotation arm within the staff. Down the stretch, Pivetta’s return means the world to the San Diego Padres.
