When Greg Vaughn hit his 50th home run on the final game of the 1998 season, he became the first and only Padre ever to do so. It was an exclamation mark on the most magical season in team history.
In 2019, there is renewed optimism amongst Padre fans. The arrival of Manny Machado and a group of young prospects has the fan base buzzing. A magical time indeed.
The Padres haven’t necessarily had a shortage of power hitters over the years, but none have been quite as prolific as Vaughn. Phil Nevin came the closest with 41 in 2001.