With baseball season just around the corner, Padres fans are most likely gearing up for another underwhelming season. It has been difficult to become even somewhat excited to watch the Padres over the last few years, however, I am here to tell you to change that mindset and prepare for what could possibly be the best season the Padres have had in a long time.

The Pads have been in the MLB since 1969 and have zero World Series championships to show for it, but it seems there is a strong possibility they can make history this season. The addition of outfield sluggers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton, will give the Padres more run opportunities, even in a pitcher’s park: a.k.a., Petco Park. With the acquisition of Kansas City Royals, pitcher James Shields, the Padres now have, arguably, one of the best pitching rotations in baseball. As long as these guys stay healthy, the Pads will be a force to be reckoned with in the MLB this year. 

Of course, competition does not fall short in the NL West, considering the defending champions, the San Francisco Giants, are a part of the division. The Giants have managed to win a World Series three times in the past five years, but this is actually good news for superstitious Padres fans. The Giants won in 2010, 2012, and 2014 (every other year). If this pattern continues, the door is open for the Padres in 2015. This obviously is not a valid way to determine who will win the World Series, but it is something to keep in mind.

The time has come to break out that Padres gear and wear it with confidence. Watching a Padres game at Petco Park is something everybody who lives in San Diego should experience. In fact, you should attend as many games as you possibly can this season because the Pads will be far more exciting than they have been in a long time. 

The team is not the only thing going through a transformation. Petco Park will also have some upgrades this year, including a brand new video board that will be the third-largest in the MLB, and will provide fans with more animations and video highlights to give the game a much higher entertainment value.

The great Petco Park continues to improve and, finally, has an improved team to go along with it. The only thing the Pads will do wrong this season will be when they decide to wear those hideous yellow and brown throwback uniforms that even diehard fans have difficulty sporting. Another important thing that should be mentioned to Pads fans -- you must be ready to deal with all of the brand new Padres fans sprouting up everywhere -- the band wagoners.

The Padres have a long journey ahead of them, but are a capable team that could do great things in the upcoming baseball season. It may seem unrealistic to have such a drastic thought, but we have all seen crazier things happen. For now, let’s just have this idea in mind as the 2015 baseball season kicks off in April.