RADIO
Ty France Likely to Return to Padres in Free Agency?
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France "seems most likely" of the team's key impending free agents to return in 2027, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. France was an unlikely hero for San Diego in 2026 after signing a minor league deal last offseason, hitting .295/.363/.502 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI, 59 runs scored, and one stolen base across 500 plate appearances. The 32-year-old posted a 9.1% barrel rate and 47.2% hard-hit rate, both of which represented career highs. France is also widely considered to be one of the better defensive first basemen in MLB. Still, the veteran's age and lack of a proven track record as a high-level contributor could hold down his free agent market. San Diego will likely be facing significant payroll constraints this winter, so bringing back France at a reasonable price could be a priority.
Source: The Athletic - Dennis Lin
Source: The Athletic - Dennis Lin
Gavin Sheets Scratched From Game 3 Lineup With Neck Stiffness
The San Diego Padres announced that outfielder/first baseman Gavin Sheets (neck) was scratched from the Game 3 lineup on Tuesday in the National League Division Series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers due to neck stiffness. Sheets will be available off the bench, though, so he should be considered day-to-day. Outfielder Samad Taylor is now serving as the designated hitter and will bat eighth in the order against Brewers right-hander Dustin May. Sheets hit 17 homers (two shy of his career high) in 125 regular-season games but missed all of September while on the injured list with a foot injury. The 30-year-old veteran left-handed slugger has played in only two games so far in the postseason for San Diego, but he did have a big two-run home run in Game 2 of the Wild-Card Series against the Chicago Cubs. Since the start of July, Sheets has hit just two home runs, so he has really struggled to tap into his power from the left side in the second half of the season.
Source: San Diego Padres
Source: San Diego Padres
Ty France Drives in Two in Game 2 Loss
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France carried his team's offense in its 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, recording two hits and two RBI in three at-bats. The 32-year-old has been hot to begin the postseason, logging seven hits, two RBI, and two runs scored in 15 at-bats across four games. France had a resurgent regular season for the Padres as well, slashing .295/.363/.502 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI, 59 runs scored, and one stolen base across 500 plate appearances. While San Diego has now dropped each of the first two games of the NLDS, France has done his job. If the Padres are going to mount a comeback against the Brewers, they will likely need France to stay locked in.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Ty France a Sneaky Waiver-Wire Addition Amid Hot Stretch
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France has quietly been one of the team's most consistent offensive producers this summer. He hit .326 (29-for-89) with a .966 OPS, six home runs, six doubles, 20 RBI, and 13 runs scored in 23 games and 100 plate appearances in July, and he's off to a good start so far in five games in August, going 6-for-20 (.300) with five runs scored for the Friars. The 32-year-old veteran's recent hot streak at the plate has boosted his season slash line to an impressive .288/.342/.520 with an .862 OPS, 16 home runs, 49 RBI, 39 runs scored, and a stolen base in 89 games played across 311 plate appearances in his eighth year in the big leagues. France is suddenly five home runs shy of setting a new career high in that category in his return to San Diego in 2026. While his .255 expected batting average and .331 xwOBA (current wOBA of .368) say that we've probably seen the best from France this year, he's still a decent corner-infield option for some pop in deep-mixed fantasy leagues while he's hot. After his red-hot stretch in July, he's now rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Ty France Continues to Torment Royals, Homers Twice in Sunday's Win
For some reason, San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France just sees the ball better when he's playing against the Kansas City Royals. France continued his torrid hitting against KC in the Padres' 19-2 blowout victory on the road on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, going 2-for-6 at the plate with two home runs and five RBI to boost his season average to .275 and his OPS to .872. The 32-year-old veteran right-handed hitter hit a grand slam in the eighth inning and had a solo homer in the ninth to cap a rare offensive explosion for the Friars. The big performance from France extended his current hitting streak to seven games. During that span, he has four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and four multi-hit games as he continues to heat up during the summer. After the big day, France is hitting .275/.335/.537 with 14 home runs, 39 RBI, 28 runs scored, and a steal in his 243 plate appearances in his first year back in SD. He's been hot lately, but France has mostly been far too inconsistent with a limited power ceiling, which is why he's rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues. His .246 expected batting average also doesn't make him extremely attractive as a hitter to target in the second half.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Will Ty France's Two-Homer Game on Friday Get him Going?
San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France had a much-needed big game on Friday night, even if the Padres lost another game on the road in a 9-7 ballgame to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. France went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, a double, and five RBI to raise his season average to .259 and his OPS to .796. His first long ball of the game was a grand slam in the first inning, and he later added a solo blast in the fourth inning, with both of his round-trippers coming off veteran right-hander Jacob deGrom. The 31-year-old veteran first baseman homered for the first time since May 29, and the Padres are hoping that his strong performance in the series opener in Texas will help him turn things around for the rest of June. France entered Friday's action with a rough .132 average (5-for-38) with a double, an RBI, three runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts in 13 games in June. He is now slashing .259/.306/.490 on the year with eight homers, 24 RBI, 17 runs scored, and a steal in his 158 plate appearances in his return to San Diego in 2026. France is rostered in just 1% of Yahoo leagues and has unfortunately been much more useful to the Padres for his glove than his bat.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Gavin Sheets Remains a Power Bat to Target on the Waiver Wire Despite Recent Skid
Across 213 plate appearances in 2026, San Diego Padres first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets is hitting .223/.315/.441 with 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 26 runs scored, and three stolen bases. The lefty-swinger is limited to a big-side platoon role, as he's hit .143 in 38 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Still, Sheets' 9.5% barrel rate and 45.3% hard-hit rate both support solid power output. He also owns a 10.8% walk rate, which helps lift his production floor and keeps his playing time stable. Sheets typically hits in the heart of the Padres' lineup on days that he starts. If some of San Diego's struggling hitters around Sheets start to heat up over the summer months, Sheets will be in a good position to rack up counting stats. His upside is limited by his lack of ability to hit lefties, but Sheets still profiles as a solid deep-league power bat to target on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Gavin Sheets Worth an Add for Power Upside
San Diego Padres first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets is putting together a very productive season and could be a worthwhile waiver wire pickup for managers needing corner infield or outfield help. In just 163 at-bats, the lefty has already hit nine home runs with 23 RBI and is posting a strong .807 OPS. He's been very effective against right-handed pitching, posting a .879 OPS with an elite .529 SLG. While his playing time can be inconsistent as a platoon bat, when he's in the lineup, he's been producing at a high level. Under the hood, Sheets is impacting the ball quite hard, as evidenced by his 71st percentile 45.5% hard-hit rate and 82nd percentile 74.8 mph average bat speed. Sheets is still widely available in most leagues, sitting at just 23% rostered on Yahoo, and offers a nice combination of power and on-base skills. If you're looking for a depth outfielder or corner infielder with above-average power, he's worth a look.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Gavin Sheets a Priority Waiver-Wire Addition Amid Hitting Streak?
San Diego Padres first baseman Gavin Sheets has recorded a base hit in five consecutive games, offering consistency and upside in fantasy baseball. Over his last 13 games, Sheets is 15-for-39 (.385) with four home runs, 10 walks, and nine strikeouts. This level of productivity has turned him into a priority waiver wire addition, especially for fantasy managers in search of someone to occupy a first base or outfield spot. In total this year, Sheets is slashing .255/.335/.503 with a career-high 139 wRC+. He also has nine home runs, putting him on pace to slug 20+ homers for the first time in his career. Despite being a key bright spot for a 31-win Padres team, Sheets is rostered in just 29% of fantasy baseball leagues. That means he's available in 71% of leagues, making him a priority target for plenty of fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Gavin Sheets on Fire at the Plate, Hits Two More Homers in Seattle
San Diego Padres outfielder/first baseman Gavin Sheets is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now. The 30-year-old left-handed slugger carried the Friars' offense on Sunday as they finished off another three-game sweep of the hosting Seattle Mariners in an 8-3 win, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, four RBI, and two walks to raise his season average to .262 and his OPS to .896. Both of Sheets' long balls at T-Mobile Park came off right-handed starter George Kirby. It was the second straight day that Sheets cleared the fences in Seattle, and he extended his current hitting streak to six games after starting May pretty cold offensively. During his six-game hitting streak, Sheets has gone 10-for-16 (.625) with four homers, a double, eight RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base. He continues to produce for fantasy managers with outfield and first base eligibility, and he's now slashing .262/.340/.556 with nine total home runs, 10 doubles, 21 RBI, 19 runs scored, and three stolen bases in his 141 plate appearances in 2026.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
