Padres great sends wake-up call to Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and others

The San Diego Padres lost in the National League Wild Card Round against the Chicago Cubs to end their 2025 season. The team has plenty of bats to go up against any pitching lineup in the MLB, but one notable quality is missing: consistency.

On Wednesday, former Padres reliever Heath Bell was asked what New Year's resolution he wants the franchise to undertake. Bell stressed doing basics well, sending a wake-up call to top Padres sluggers, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and others.

"Let’s hit a little bit better than normal. Manny, we know you can hit around .300, go ahead and do it," Bell said (5:38) on Friar Territory. "Tatis, we know you can do that too. Cronenworth, we know you can hit. You know, Jackson Merrill, third year in the league, you don’t have the sophomore slump anymore. We know you can hit. And Bogarts, keep hitting like you have been, and the other guys as well."

Bell asks the sluggers to bring consistency in their hitting, unlike 2025, when they had a few great months and some completely opposite.

"Let’s start the notion of, ‘Hey, we didn’t get off to a slow start,’ or, ‘We had a bad month,’" Bell added. "Everything’s clean. Let’s go back to what we did, the basics, where the Padres, if you think about it, came out of spring training doing the basics, had an incredible April last year, and then all of a sudden, I don’t know, forgot the basics or something and didn’t hit for a couple of months. "So, guys, let’s just stick to the basics, and let’s hit for the next six months instead of maybe a month here and a month there. It’s all about swinging the bat and doing the basics that brought you success in April and September of last year.”

Padres made notable additions in offseason

Unlike last offseason, where they remained silent, the Padres have made a splash in December, signing KBO star infielder Sung-Mun Song to a four-year contract. They have also re-signed right-hander Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal, giving the franchise stability in the rotation after a busy offseason.

Meanwhile, pitcher Jhony Brito, acquired in the Juan Soto trade, is aiming to return from offseason elbow surgery. Currently, the Padres are contemplating whether three-time batting champion Luis Arraez should be brought back, given his familiarity with the club.

Edited by Krutik Jain