2017 San Diego Padres Youth Movement

A new year means a new opportunity not just for the Seattle Mariners but for the team that they share their Spring Training Practice Facility with. In case you didn't know, the Padres were not just bad in 2016, they played worse than the 1979 Seattle Mariners, a 100 loss team. In fact, like that 1979 Mariners team, they hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in their home city. But that's all in the past. Let's look to the future of the San Diego Padres, which is extremely bright. 

Let's start with the position of catcher:

The Padres had a terrible defensive catcher in Derek Norris [below], who looks like a lumberjack got too close with a Yeti... Anyway, Norris was traded last month to the Washington Nationals, so we don't have to see this facial monstrosity anymore.

Enter Austin Hedges, who hit .326 with 21 homeruns & 86 Runs Battted In. He is young [24 years old], very good defensively [unlike Norris] & has a great throwing arm. Hedges is clearly ready to play in the Major Leagues as a full-time player in San Diego.

Now let's look at where, in my opinion, the San Diego Padres are the most exciting, the Outfield:

Baseball fans got a glimpse of future stars Manuel Margot & Hunter Renfroe in September. When you factor in Travis Jankowski & Alex Dickerson sharing playing time in left field, and the fact that all of these players will be younger than 27 years old when the 2017 season gets underway, the Padres have a very youthful & exciting outfield.

Lastly, infielder/outfielder Jose Pirela [top] & shortstop Jose Rondon [center] are both playing in the Venezuelan Winter League Playoffs, while a 3rd player, Fernando Perez [bottom], is currently playing in the Mexican Winter League Playoffs. Pirela hit .343 during Venezuela's Regular Season, while Rondon batted .263 there & Perez batted .315 during Mexico's regular season.