It’s a new baseball season with a new manager and hitting coach yet 2026’s start feels similar to 2025’s ending. Sure, this is where everyone will shout “SMALL SAMPLE SIZE!”, which is the proper retort to anyone pointing out that the Padres have two home runs and are 29th in slugging percentage through four games.

Thankfully, MLB.Com’s AJ Cassavell is our guest and available to speak logically about the Pads slow offensive start before we talk about how Craig Stammen has managed his bullpen, catcher usage and how the team’s approach to ABS might evolve in the next few weeks and months. We also discussed Walker Buehler’s debut and how soon the Padres might see starting reinforcements available.

After AJ leaves, Marty and Darren discussed some of the rumors about ownership and how we are entering a way different era than anything we’ve experienced locally from our pro sports owners. The times, they are about to change in a major way.

This is the audio-only version of this conversation. If you want to watch the MartyTimeTV version, find the tab on the home screen of this Substack page or simply click here.

There’s also a new Friar Territory episode available. Our guest was Dave Flemming, longtime Giants broadcaster, who had insight on Tony Vitello and what Joe Lacob could bring to the table if he ends up owning the Padres. You can find that conversation here and wherever you find your podcasts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com