The Padres joined the National League as an expansion franchise in 1969 and spent their first several seasons near the bottom of the standings, finishing last in their division in each of their first six years. The club's fortunes improved by the early 1980s, and under manager Dick Williams the Padres won their first National League pennant in 1984, though they lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers. Outfielder Tony Gwynn, who debuted in 1982 and went on to win eight batting titles over a two-decade career, became the defining figure of the franchise during this period and into the 1990s.

A second pennant followed in 1998, with closer Trevor Hoffman and MVP third baseman Ken Caminiti leading a team that again fell short in the World Series, this time to the New York Yankees. In the years since, the Padres have reached the postseason multiple times, aided by aggressive roster-building under executives such as A. J. Preller, but have not returned to the World Series. Ownership of the club changed hands in 2026, when José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones took over as the franchise's principal owners.