Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
One of the Padres biggest improvements over the 2014 edition is situational hitting. Last season, for example, the Padres hit .220 with runners in scoring position.
There were actually two problems in this area. One, the Padres didn't get that many runners into scoring position. Two, and when they did they struggled to get them home safely off the bases.
The 2014 Padres hit a collective -- and Major League worst -- .220 with runners in scoring position ... a statistic known as RISP.