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San Diego Padres
Overall: 107
Title track: 122
Ownership: 111
Coaching: 100
Players: 118
Fan relations: 111
Affordability: 73
Stadium experience: 34
Bang for the buck: 40
Change from last year: -27
The Padres were shut out by the Dodgers 15-0 on Opening Day, and it was all downhill from there. They were never seriously competitive in the NL West and were a nonfactor in our standings as well, finishing with their worst overall mark in five seasons and a string of triple-digit category rankings. If not for pristine Petco Park, things would have been even worse.
What's good
Petco Park, the site of July's All-Star Game, generated a 34th-place ranking in stadium experience, the best of any category. Improvements in 2016 were the relocation of the franchise's six retired numbers, including the No. 19 of icon Tony Gwynn, from atop the batter's eye in center field to the home plate plaza. The Padres' Hall of Fame opened July 1, with one exhibit looking at the history of baseball in San Diego dating to the late 1800s. That affordability ranking is high, but really, the average ticket price of $23.71 is seven bucks below the MLB average and contributes to a 40th-place bang for the buck ranking, despite a 68-win season. You could ease the pain from the many losses with a 16-ounce beer for just $5.
What's bad
It was not only a bad season for GM A.J. Preller but also a humiliating one, as the Padres endured their sixth-straight losing season. A massive spending spree prior to the 2015 campaign backfired, and Preller finally decided to discard some expensive parts, including James Shields, Matt Kemp, Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz. The trade of Pomeranz caught the eye of the commissioner's office, which suspended Preller for 30 days for reportedly withholding medical records on players he was dealing. Padres fans might feel that if you're going to cheat, you might as well win while doing so. They rank dead last of all pro teams in title track (122nd), worst in MLB in players (118th) and sixth-worst in baseball in ownership (111th). When fans were asked if their team "demonstrated a commitment to winning," only two MLB clubs ranked lower than the Padres.
What's new
Given all the problems this season -- and a 28-place drop in fan relations to 111th overall -- give the Padres credit for coming up with The Links at Petco Park. Last offseason, Callaway Golf and the Padres teamed up to create a nine-hole golf course within the baseball facility, where players hit from the upper deck onto greens in the outfield. It was so popular that it is being brought back this November, with 684 tee times for nearly 2,800 slots over the six-day event. Expect some better swings than we saw from the Padres, who hit for a major-league-low .235 average.
Next: Oakland A's | Full rankings