When the 2025 season started, who did we expect to lead the San Diego Padres' starting rotation? Dylan Cease? Michael King? Those two guys were primed for star-studded campaigns, but injuries and/or subpar starts inhibited both guys from really showing up in 2025.
It was Nick Pivetta who stood out above the rest in San Diego. Finishing with career-bests in strikeouts (190), ERA (2.87), WHIP (0.985), wins (13), and ERA+ (149), Pivetta put together one of the greatest pitching seasons in Padres history. What's crazy is that all Pivetta wanted from his employer was long-term security.