Evaluating Stammen’s first year as Padres skipper

MLB.com's AJ Cassavell evaluated Craig Stammen's first year as manager of the San Diego Padres, highlighting his transition from former reliever to postseason skipper. Stammen led the club to at least 90 wins and a postseason berth despite having no prior managerial experience. Cassavell notes that Stammen navigated an eight-game losing streak in July and used an unconventional pitching strategy to keep the club afloat through injuries before the Trade Deadline.

While Stammen committed notable growing-pain errors such as improper mound-visit tracking, Cassavell argues that the manager showed steady evolution and earned strong clubhouse trust. Stammen noted his motivation to avoid the regression suffered by previous Padres managers, stating that his experience as a former player gives him energy as he prepares for his second season.