Baseball’s power brokers just issued a loud reminder about who still matters in October conversations, and the San Diego Padres were part of that message. In votes cast by league executives across both circuits, a handful of headliners were unanimous selections. Proof that, for all the noise of a 162-game season, certain stars still cut through with the people who build rosters for a living. It wasn’t a popularity contest or a fan-driven surge; this was the sport’s decision-makers circling names that move the needle when it counts.
That same lens put San Diego right where it wants to be: in the thick of the league’s talent conversation.