Earlier this season general manager Jed Hoyer tried to deflect criticism aimed at hitting coach Randy Ready for the Padres’ offensive struggles, but today the team fired Ready after 2.5 seasons on the job.
San Diego scored the second-fewest runs in the league, so firing the hitting coach certainly isn’t shocking, but it’s worth noting that Petco Park played a huge role in those weak scoring totals. Away from the majors’ most extreme hitters’ ballpark the Padres scored the NL’s sixth-most road runs.
In other words, when playing in normal, non-extreme hitting environments the Padres’ lineup was slightly above average. When playing at home they were horrendous, but Petco Park turns just about every offense into a punchless one. Which is why in eight seasons calling Petco Park home the Padres have ranked 8th, 13th, 13th, 9th, 16th, 15th, 12th, and 15th among NL teams in overall scoring.