Xander Bogaerts has been the most consistent offensive player for the San Diego Padres through the first month of the season — his defense has been pretty good, too. The question, as the calendar turns to May, is can he maintain this pace? There is some reason to think that after three years in San Diego, Bogaerts has finally settled into his place in the Padres clubhouse and the City of San Diego. The result has been a more relaxed, more confident Bogaerts who has hit five home runs for a team that needs slug from its star players and so far, has not really gotten it. With the day off between the series against the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, the San Diego roster got a chance to reset. The Padres dropped a close series to the Cubs, 2-1, and welcome the red-hot White Sox who are coming off a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, which included a win over Jose Soriano, who is arguably one of the best starters in MLB to this point in the season. San Diego will have to be better on offense and on the mound if the Padres want to get back in the win column.
