The most important Padres story that’s now unfolding begins with the profound changes to the heartbeat of baseball.
For the first time in the big leagues, umpires’ ball and strike calls can be challenged and either upheld or overturned after a quick review of the pitch data.
That’s a game-changer, for sure.
What’s not getting nearly enough attention is the other game-changer:
The strike zone has shrunk as a result of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system and precise measurements of hitters’ heights to create a uniform zone.
“It’s not as high and not as low,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said of the zone Thursday.
“There’s no doubt — watching these games, the zone has shrunk both (up and down),” said Tony Gwynn Jr., a Padres broadcaster and former big-leaguer.
Padres still getting to the bottom (and top) of new, varying strike zone
Here’s a neon-worthy development: Many high strikes have now become balls, which Gwynn termed “a great gift to hitters.”
Explained Stammen, a former reliever: “The pitches that are very attractive for hitters to swing at are usually a little higher in the zone. So, now, they have the ability to just not swing at ‘em.”
Rule changes of this scope reward the smart adapters and punish the slow movers.
The 2023 Padres were not great adapters to the last major rules change in MLB — the pitch clock.
Through three weeks, the 2026 Padres stand as net beneficiaries of the ABS era.
It didn’t look that way on opening day.
Nick Pivetta’s body language evidenced frustration after two high fastballs — a staple pitch for the Padres’ ace — were called balls.
“A couple of fastballs that (Tigers hitter) Gleyber Torres (took), what may have been strikes in the past or strikes that hitters had to offer at because they were borderline, he just simply took and they were balls,” Stammen said, “and I think Nick got a little frustrated with those being called balls.”
Pivetta rebounded with a second strong start, but now finds himself on the injured list.
Michael King of the San Diego Padres pitches to Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Stammen’s pitching staff boasts several other pitchers who are well-equipped to handle this sea change.
Co-ace Michael King throws several darting pitches that work well within the strike zone and on its edges.
High-leverage relievers Mason Miller and Adrián Morejón have the pure stuff to defeat hitters inside the shrunken strike zone.
Don’t be fooled by Morejón’s unsightly ERA. Padres fielders blundered in three of his outings, and he still has premium stuff.
Scoffing at the smaller zone, Miller is striking out 22.6 hitters per nine innings.
Padres hitters? They’ve done their share in lifting the team to a 12-6 record entering Thursday. San Diego is 11th of 30 MLB teams in runs per game.
A year after finishing 29th in “hard-hit percentage” — the ratio of balls in play clocked at 95 mph or harder — they stand second.
An older lineup may benefit more from the new zone, anyway. Hitters in their 30s generally show reduced bat speed, and getting the barrel to a high fastball is extra tough.
The Padres have an older lineup. So too do the Dodgers.
Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after his home run against the Colorado Rockies during the third inning at Petco Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Manny Machado, showing great command of the strike zone, has juiced numerous rallies with walks such as his leadoff effort against Mariners closer Andres Munoz that began Wednesday’s game-winning, five-run rally. Machado has a National League-best 22.2% walk rate. That’s nearly three times his career pace.
Fellow 33-year-old Xander Bogaerts’ underlying stats are up.
The hard-hit rates of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano stand well above the league average.
“We have a lot of great hitters,” said Nick Castellanos.
Gavin Sheets, who’s also hitting the ball hard, said Padres hitters are adapting well to the new zone plus the challenge system. Merrill, whose two-run double decided Wednesday’s game, said he hasn’t noticed any change in the strike zone.
As for Padres pitchers, the team sits seventh in runs per game. And the rotation — which stood as the team’s largest question mark entering the season — stands 11th in ERA.
For the Padres so far, ABS stands for awesome, bueno and satisfactory.