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The second half gets underway tomorrow night, and the Padres are faced with a daunting uphill climb. But by no means is it an insurmountable one.

San Diego presently sits in fourth place in the National League West, six games out of a playoff spot. A red-hot Manny Machado delivered this message after the first half came to a close on Sunday afternoon:

“Everyone could use a break,” Machado said. “So, enjoy these couple days off and get off your feet for a little bit. But like I told everybody, get your minds right for the second half. Because it ain’t gonna be easy. But we're gonna be ready for it.”

They'd better be. The second half opens with a pivotal four-game series in Philadelphia -- a chance to vanquish some ghosts from last October. But more importantly, it's a chance to gain ground in the Wild Card race against a team the Padres would almost certainly need to pass to reach the postseason.

Right now, the Padres are 43-47. The Phillies, meanwhile, are on an 87-win pace. Let's look at that number as a baseline. The Padres need to go 44-26 second half to reach 87 wins.

Can the Padres play at what would be a near-100-win pace in the second half? Well, that’s one way of framing it. But the Padres (almost certainly) don’t need to be a 100-win team to reach the playoffs. They just need to play like one for a stretch.

"It’s a challenge," manager Bob Melvin said. "But I try not to look at these things mathematically -- like, you have to win so many games to get to 'X.' Because we have the ability to go on a run, and if you make a run, you’re right there. More than anything, that’s something that should resonate with us. If we go on a good stretch, we'll be right there, and that will give us more and more momentum going forward.

"But it’s easier said than done. Because we haven’t done it this year to this point."

Here’s a quick midterm report on the Padres:

What we learned: Star power alone won’t carry the Padres

San Diego's roster is loaded with superstars. Some have underperformed in the first half. Some have lived up to expectations. If all of those superstars click in the second half, it'd go a long way. But that hasn't been the biggest issue. The Padres' depth -- the bottom of their lineup, their bench, the back of their rotation and the middle innings in their bullpen -- is tenuous. Can the rotation stay healthy? Can players like Jake Cronenworth and Trent Grisham step up? Will the Padres make a deal for another bat or a bullpen arm? Those questions -- not any questions about their superstars -- will define the second half.

Trade Deadline strategy: Be ready to ‘pivot’

Speaking on 97.3 The Fan a couple weeks ago, general manager A.J. Preller espoused his belief that his team remains a legitimate contender, noting, "If things change, then we'll pivot from that standpoint. But right now, the feeling with our group is: We're capable." So that's the plan. The Padres are buyers until they're not. If they buy, there aren't too many glaring holes, but the team could certainly use a bat -- perhaps for a right field/DH role -- and a bit more pitching depth. If the Padres sell, then things get awfully interesting. Blake Snell, Josh Hader and Seth Lugo hit free agency after the season. If the only goal is to win in 2023, all three are too integral to deal. But if the standings change over the next few weeks, Preller must be open to that pivot.

Player to watch: Blake Snell

Snell’s 2.85 ERA is by far the best mark of any qualifying pitcher not named to the All-Star Game -- and a significantly better mark than many players who were. He ranks second in the NL with 132 strikeouts and first with a .200 opponents’ batting average. He’s also been the best pitcher in baseball for practically two months, with a 0.68 ERA in his last nine starts.

The sheer injustice of Snell not pitching in his hometown of Seattle aside, Snell can set his sights on bigger things in the second half. He’s pitching like a bona fide Cy Young candidate (an award he won with Tampa Bay in 2018). He’s also in the final year of his contract, and if the Padres spiral out of the break, he could become the market’s most valuable non-Shohei Ohtani trade piece. That’s clearly not their preference.