The franchise started in 1969, just another expansion team in funny uniforms that lost 110 games. Five decades passed, with a few Hall of Famers but no championships. Then, after years of aggressive spending and trading by the front office, Juan Soto led the team all the way.
That scenario played out for the Washington Nationals in 2019, when they finally won the World Series. The San Diego Padres are hoping for a sequel of their own.
The Padres — expansion cousins of the Montreal Expos, who eventually moved to Washington — have never been especially close to a title.