No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only.
Here is AJ Cassavell’s ranking of the top five right fielders in Padres history:
1) Tony Gwynn, 1982-2001
Key fact: If you split Gwynn's numbers in half, he'd rank first and second in Padres history in WAR, hits, runs, total bases and doubles
As MLB.com ranks the best players at each position for all 30 teams, there might not be a single more obvious answer than Gwynn in right field for the Padres. Chances are, if you're reading this list, you're already well aware of what Gwynn accomplished. But it's never a bad time to recount the greatness of Mr. Padre.
Gwynn's .338 career batting average is the highest in the Major Leagues since Ted Williams. His eight batting titles are the most for any hitter in the past 100 years. (Only Ty Cobb, with 12, has more overall.) If you count only plate appearances against the 18 Hall of Fame pitchers he faced, including the postseason, Gwynn batted .331/.371/.426. And perhaps most importantly, Gwynn played his entire 20-year career in San Diego, where he is forever beloved.
2) Dave Winfield, 1973-80
Key fact: Winfield's 32 WAR is the second-highest mark in Padres history, trailing only Gwynn
Not only is Winfield clearly the second-best right fielder in Padres history, but he also might be the second-best player in club history. He's one of three players to don a Padres cap in the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman.
In eight seasons with San Diego, Winfield posted a .284/.357/.464 slash line while reaching four straight All-Star Games from 1977-80. His '79 season is in the discussion for best in Padres history -- stacking up favorably with any of Gwynn's seasons and Ken Caminiti's '96 National League MVP Award-winning campaign. In a low run-scoring environment, Winfield batted .308 with a .953 OPS while leading the league with 118 RBIs and winning one of his two Gold Glove Awards as a Padre. In short: Winfield was an absolute force in San Diego, and if not for one of the best players in baseball history, he'd easily sit atop this list.
3) Fernando Tatis Jr., 2023-present
Key fact: Might be the best defensive right fielder in club history, having won the Platinum Glove Award there twice
Tatis spent the first three seasons of his career as a shortstop, otherwise he’d have a legitimate claim at surpassing Winfield into the No. 2 spot on this list. Tatis will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest players in franchise history. Through 2026, his best offensive seasons have come as a shortstop. But he’s been mostly excellent since moving to right field, while playing some of the best outfield defense of his generation.
Entering 2027, Tatis ranks third on the club WAR list, behind only Gwynn and Winfield -- putting, potentially, the top three players in franchise history all in right field.
4) Brian Giles, 2003-09
Key fact: A clear fourth place among Padres primary right fielders in most categories, with 17.4 WAR, 872 hits and 415 RBIs for the club
Across seven seasons in San Diego, Giles posted a .279/.380/.435 slash line and 83 homers. Those numbers might have been good enough for him to claim the top spot on the Padres' center- and left-field lists. But in right field, Giles falls to No. 4. Still, he was an important piece in the middle of the lineup on consecutive division winners in San Diego. Giles played 158 games in both 2005 and '06, batting .281 with an .835 OPS and 29 homers during that stretch.
5) Will Venable, 2008-15
Key fact: Split time with Padres almost evenly between center and right field. His 13.3 WAR would've ranked as the best in club history in center
Venable's tenure in San Diego loses some luster because he arrived after the team's strong run from 2005-07 and was only in right field for one winning team across eight seasons. But Venable was a steady and valuable presence for a long time. He posted a wRC+ of 99 or higher in each of his first six seasons in San Diego, with the ability to play all three outfield positions. Venable's '13 peak was a strong one, too, as he posted a .268/.312/.484 slash line with 22 homers -- including a then-record 15 at Petco Park.
Honorable mentions
• Ollie Brown was an original Padre, selected from the Giants in the 1969 expansion draft. Over the next three seasons, he averaged 145 games and posted a .276/.331/.422 slash line with 52 homers while sporting a legendary throwing arm.
• Chris Denorfia's 9.9 WAR ranks above Brown's 6.7 mark and places him sixth in club history among primary right fielders. Denorfia's .292 average as a right fielder (minimum 300 games) trails only Gwynn.
• Sixto Lezcano's 5.9 WAR during the 1982 season is the best by a Padre right fielder not named Gwynn or Winfield.
• Hunter Renfroe's 89 homers are third all time among Padres right fielders, and his 6.1 WAR ranks eighth.