Jurickson Profar confident Padres would've won World Series had they beaten Dodgers in 2024 NLDS

For most of the 2024 postseason, the LA Dodgers looked unbeatable as they won he World Series but faced a stern challenge from the San Diego Padres in the 2024 NLDS clash, almost getting knocked out.

The divisional rivalry needed all five games to produce a result. The Dodgers won the first game before the Padres won back-to-back to push LA to the brink of elimination entering Game 4. If not for the resilient effort of Dodgers relievers, who shut off the Padres offense, Shohei Ohtani & Co. wouldn't have advanced to the next stage.

On Thursday, in an interview with Foul Territory, former Padres star Jurickson Profar said that there would have been a massive World Series opportunity for the club had they eliminated the Dodgers. Profar said:

"For sure. For sure. You know, and they came back those last two games and they were really, really good. And I think that helped them too with the rest of the series that they played. You know, it was a really, really good battle between us and them."

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Padres lose Jurickson Profar in free agency

The Padres didn't have the best of the offseason, as they couldn't retain Jurickson Profar, who was an integral part of their unit. The outfielder instead signed with the Atlanta Braves on a three-year, $42 million deal.

The seasoned outfielder is coming off a career year, hitting .280, 24 home runs and driving in 85 runs with 10 stolen bases. His 4.3 fWAR was the highest among all left fielders in the National League.

Profar joins an elite outfield lineup of Braves, which includes center fielder Michael Harris II and right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna won't be available on Opening Day, but once he returns, the 2023 NL MVP will make the Braves hitting unit fearsome.

Earlier this spring, Profar was out since March 8. He returned to the lineup on Thursday and will be available for the remaining spring training games so that he can get all the game time before the season opener against the Padres at Petco Park.

It will be a sort of homecoming for Profar who starts the season at a place where he's expected to get a standing ovation when he takes the plate.