Stammen took over in San Diego following the sudden retirement of Mike Shildt following the 2025 season and is already looking forward to competing against the defending World Series champions.
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“We’re going to compete,” Stammen said. “There’s no doubt about it. We’re going to give them our best chance. That’s what we’re going to do every year, that’s what we’re going to do every year. They’re a great team, two-time defending World Series champions, a lot of great star players, future Hall of Famers.”
“We feel good about our roster too. We feel good about our team, we feel good about the attitude. We’ve definitely had a lot of battles with them, we know what it’s like to play at Dodger Stadium, we know what it’s like to play against them at Petco [Park] and how exciting that atmosphere is.
“They’re a strong team, a great team, but there’s nothing better in the big leagues than playing against the best.”
The Dodgers and Padres have had a heated rivalry in recent seasons, with moments ranging from fierce playoff series to bench-clearing brawls. The Dodgers comfortably won the season series against their NL West competitors in 2025, claiming nine of the thirteen games between the two.
San Diego has only gotten weaker since the start of the offseason, having lost All-Star closer Robert Suarez, starter Dylan Cease and All-Star Ryan O’Hearn in free agency. Additionally, Yu Darvish will miss all of 2026 due to injury. The only high-profile move they made to recover from their losses was re-signing starting pitcher Michael King to a three-year deal.
Rather, the Dodgers have maintained their strength from 2025 and added a new All-Star piece in the form of Edwin Diaz, who will be a huge piece of the bullpen looking to bounce back next season.
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LA won’t see the Padres in the regular season until May 19, when the division will likely have found its form. The Dodgers will look to continue their dominance over the Padres and the rest of the NL West in 2026, where they will attempt to complete the first three-peat in franchise history.
Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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