When most people think of the San Diego Padres offense, names like Fernando Tatis Jr. , Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado come to mind. Most probably don't think of former Twins first baseman Ty France. But maybe they should.
France leads all Padres players in bWAR (3.3). Among San Diego hitters with at least 300 plate appearances, France ranks first in OPS+ (140), batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.518). The first baseman has a strong .352 on-base percentage with 18 home runs, 17 doubles and 56 RBI over 373 plate appearances this year.
France has also provided the Padres with excellent defense, posting +12 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Outs Above Average across 770 innings at first base. France put up poor defensive numbers in 2023 (-7 DRS, -1 OAA) and 2024 (-7 DRS, -11 OAA) with the Seattle Mariners before posting +9 DRS and +10 OAA over 976 1/3 innings between the Twins and Toronto Blue Jays en route to winning a Gold Glove award last year.
While France made drastic defensive improvements last year, he hit just .257/.320/.360 with seven home runs and 52 RBI across 138 games between the Twins and Blue Jays. Minnesota traded the first baseman and star reliever Louis Varland to Toronto for left-hander Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden at the 2025 trade deadline.
Because his offensive numbers were below-average last year, France had to settle for a minor-league deal with the Padres . On Saturday night's Twins.TV broadcast, Cory Provus reported that France had been in talks to sign an MLB contract with the Padres, but San Diego lowered the offer to a minor-league deal after signing Nick Castellanos, who is no longer with the team.
Talk about a value deal. France is making just $1.35 million this year. The Padres rank ninth in payroll at roughly $220.15 million.
If France, 32, finishes the season strong, he likely has a decent payday waiting for him in the offseason. That is, of course, assuming there isn't an extended lockout that cancels the 2027 season.
Unfortunately, France's strong offensive season hurt the Twins. On Friday, the first baseman went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run , a sacrifice fly and two walks as the Padres won 6-2.
On Saturday, France hit an RBI single to make the score 6-5 in the seventh inning. San Diego won the game 7-5.
This article was originally published on www.puckettspond.com as Former Twin has surprisingly emerged as Padres' best hitter in 2026 .
