Padres continue to rise up:

Expectations are high for the Padres after winning 89 games last season and finally “slaying the dragon” in the National League Division Series. Now is the Padres’ time to shine and finally run Southern California.
They had been 16-35 in the past three years against the Dodgers, but after dropping the first game of the 2022 NLDS by a two-run margin, they beat the Dodgers 5-3, 2-1, and 5-3 again in the final game of the series to “slay the dragon from up north,” as Padres owner Peter Seidler famously put it.
Since the end of last season, the Padres and Co. have been busy, adding prized shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz, and getting Fernando Tatis Jr. back from suspension on April 20. They will also see a full season of Juan Soto and Josh Hader after acquiring them at the trade deadline last year.
Meanwhile, north up the I-5, the Dodgers lost all-star Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Andrew Heaney to free agency, and Gavin Lux is expected to miss the entire season due to injury. The Dodgers’ depth will be tested this season, as they will be forced to count on their prospects for production — something Padres fans have seen far too much of and know the dangers that come with counting on young prospects.
A fully healthy San Diego lineup is unquestionably the best in baseball with four MVP candidates in Tatis Jr., Soto, Manny Machado, and Boagerts at the top. Their 5-9 can compete against any team with two-time all-star Jake Cronenworth, Ha-Seong Kim, Matt Carpenter, Trent Grisham, and future hall-of-famer Nelson Cruz. The Padres have been the “younger brother” to the Dodgers for years, but eventually the younger brother rises up against the older brother and that time is now in San Diego.
— Jonny Richardson

Dodgers stay dominating:

With Major League Baseball (MLB) Opening Day approaching, many students are staying loyal to the Padres. This season, I encourage you to broaden your horizons, and consider joining the winning side of the rivalry, the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are statistically better than the Padres. During the 2022 season, they clinched the best record (111-51) and had the highest winning percentage (.685) in the entire league, significantly better than the Padres’ record of 89-73 and a winning percentage of .549.
Additionally, the Dodgers became one of just 10 teams in MLB history to finish the season with a +300 run differential or better.
The upcoming season looks promising, as Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Award winner Mookie Betts returns, along with Golden Glove Award finalist Tyler Anderson and National League Cy Young Award finalist Julio Urias.
The Padres’ fanbase seemed to increase when the incredibly overrated Fernando Tatis Jr. joined in 2019. This craze was short-lived though. He violated MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement after being caught with performance-enhancing drug Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, and was placed on an 80-game suspension, missing the entire 2022 season. It seemed like for once, the Padres had finally acquired some true talent. But in the end, it was a facade.
So, if you’re tired of constantly being disappointed by the Padres’s lack of success, with open arms, I welcome you to bleed blue this season. After all, let’s not forget which team has never won a World Series. And which team has. Seven times.
— Miah Garcia