The Padres made 2024 a season for the record books
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Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill celebrate after clinching a playoff spot.Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
The Padres just finished one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history.
Driving the news: Sunday's loss brought their record to 93-69, second only to the 1998 World Series team's 98-64 record.
- Their playoff run begins Tuesday, with game one of the Wild Card Series against either the Atlanta Braves or New York Mets, depending on the outcome of their Monday double header.
Why it matters: This is what former owner Peter Seidler had in mind when he reinvented the franchise by doubling payroll from 2019 until he died last year.
- Seidler at least lived to see the team's run to the NL Championship Series in 2022, after the team won 89 games.
By the numbers: Padres fans set a franchise record for attendance for the second consecutive year, with 3.3 million people attending a game at Petco Park, up from 3.2 million last year.
- The 41,117 fans per game was the 4th highest in Major League Baseball, the fourth consecutive year they've finished in the top five.
- A decade ago, the team struggled to reach the middle of the league in attendance.
Zoom in: Before the season, the Padres cut payroll by trading superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the Yankees following a disastrous 2023.
- The centerpiece of the return in that trade was starting pitcher Michael King, who turned in a standout season with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts across 173 innings.
- They flipped another piece from the Soto trade in another blockbuster deal just before the season started to acquire starting pitcher Dylan Cease, who anchored the rotation with a 3.43 ERA and 224 strikeouts in 189 innings pitched.
Between the lines: Center fielder Jackson Merrill broke out with an All-Star season that could earn him Rookie of the Year honors.
- He turned in stellar defense in his new position and hit nearly 30% better than league average, a combination good enough to make him one of the 20 best players in baseball, per Fangraphs.
- Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis were the stars they're paid to be, and Jurickson Profar vastly outperformed his contract with a standout season.
What's next: The Padres are hoping to turn a stellar regular season into a deep playoff run.