Walker Buehler discusses his new style and tossing gloves around the dugout

After a difficult 2025 campaign split between the Red Sox and Phillies, Walker Buehler signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres this past February and successfully pitched his way onto their 2026 Opening Day roster. Through his first four starts of the season, the 31-year-old right-hander has logged a 1-1 record with a 4.58 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts across 17.2 innings. While he's still working on finding his peak command following his post-surgery struggles over the last couple of years, he's showing some highly encouraging signs of bouncing back. Most notably, he just secured his first win as a Padre on April 16, tossing five strong innings and striking out a season-high seven batters against the Mariners. He joined Gwynn & Chris for his Friar Friday debut!