Beneath is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the San Diego Padres. Scouting studies had been compiled with data offered by trade sources in addition to our personal observations. That is the fourth yr we’re delineating between two anticipated aid roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column under: MIRP for multi-inning aid pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning aid pitchers. The ETAs listed typically correspond to the yr a participant needs to be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Guide changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.
A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means may be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview may be discovered right here.
All the ranked prospects under additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the location presents that includes sortable scouting data for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan knowledge from varied sources) than this text and integrates each staff’s record so readers can evaluate prospects throughout farm methods. It may be discovered right here.
Different Prospects of Word
Grouped by sort and listed so as of choice inside every class.
Throwing ExhaustingYovanny Cruz, RHPMiguel Mendez, RHPRuben Galindo, RHPManuel Castro, RHPYerry Landinez, RHPJosé Geraldo, RHP
A minor league free agent signee, Cruz was injured loads throughout his tenure with the Cubs. He’s nonetheless sitting 96-99 and can flash a plus changeup. A brilliant skinny A-ball starter who simply turned 22, Mendez is sitting 93-97 and can flash a superb slider. He’s wild, his fastball lacks life, and his slider is crushable when it’s not situated nicely. A 6-foot-1 Colombian righty as much as 96, Galindo additionally has a fairly good changeup. He’s labored about two innings at a day trip of the bullpen for the final a number of years and is at present on the IL. A 5-foot-8 Mexican righty, Castro is having success as a reliever at Fort Wayne sitting 93-95 with a bunch of different 45 and 45-grade pitches. A transformed infielder, hitters don’t appear to see Landinez’s fastball out of hand, and despite the fact that it isn’t that onerous, he’s producing a miss fee north of 40%. He’s wild however attention-grabbing to observe. Geraldo is 25 and sitting 94-97 at Fort Wayne.
Well-known GuysJagger Haynes, LHPRyan Bergert, RHPCarson Montgomery, RHP
Haynes was San Diego’s 2020 fifth rounder, a projectable highschool lefty who didn’t pitch in an affiliated recreation till 2023 resulting from harm. His supply and body are nonetheless thrilling, however neither Haynes’ velo nor his command has progressed. Bergert, a former sixth spherical choose, is sitting 92-93 with uphill angle and an often good slider. Montgomery, San Diego’s eleventh rounder final yr, was a high-profile excessive schooler who went to Florida State and didn’t fairly take a leap in Tallahassee. He ran a WHIP close to 2.00 as a junior and has been harm for many of 2024.
A-Ball HittersRosman Verdugo, 1BRomeo Sanabria, 3BJay Beshears, 2B
Verdugo was given a fairly aggressive project final yr as an 18-year-old assigned to full-season ball, and he didn’t carry out particularly nicely. He’s again in Lake Elsinore and issues have been higher total, however he’s really hanging out just a little greater than in 2023 and is having arm accuracy points at third base, the place he’s taking part in extra typically due to De Vrie’s presence at brief. His zone management is nice, however for now he’s only a younger observe. A bodily 22-year-old first baseman, Sanabria slugged his method out of Elsinore earlier this yr however has began to come back again right down to Earth at Fort Wayne. His hit knowledge from the Cal League was superior, however we don’t belief that his swing will play on the higher ranges, not to mention within the massive leagues. Clearing the bar at first base is tremendous exhausting. Beshears transferred from Northwestern to Duke for his draft yr after which walked and slugged his method from Lake Elsinore to Fort Wayne this season. He swings exhausting however lacks really feel for contact, and his arm isn’t a match at shortstop.
Rookie-Degree Names to KnowYimy Tovar, SSYoiber Ocopio, C/1BJordan Valenzuela, RHP
Tovar is a bodily DSL shortstop with a complicated bat and modest projection. Ocopio made the DSL All-Star staff final yr however has been left again there once more in 2024. He’s a stocky man with a compact swing that produces spectacular energy. Valenzuela is a 6-foot-2 righty who sits about 90 with fairly nasty pure reduce. He’s received good arm velocity and bodily projection, however is wild proper now.
System Overview
Like final yr, the Padres system has impression expertise on the high but it surely thins out fairly shortly. The staff’s potential to select good gamers within the draft and worldwide market has stored the large league staff flush via promotions and trades. Jackson Merrill is already contributing to the foremost league membership at a excessive degree, and a number of other different groups (particularly the Nationals) are reaping the rewards of the Padres’ good draft room judgement on the again of huge trades. The Padres have been one of the vital lively groups on the commerce market in current reminiscence and that has taken a piece out of their prospect expertise pool. It’s in all probability a protected assumption that extra gamers might be on the transfer in coming weeks.
Nearly as good because the Padres’ scouting departments have been at figuring out expertise, it’s been exhausting to maintain the system stocked on the tempo they’ve traded it away. The variety of Padres draft picks and signees who’ve turn into related massive leaguers is unbelievable proof of their proficiency within the realm, however the truth that so a lot of them play for different groups has received to make you jealous should you’re a Padres fan. You can argue a few of these trades had been short-sighted, however a part of the explanation they really feel that method is as a result of former Padres chairman Peter Seidler handed away and the entrance workplace had no selection however to change course fairly considerably.
For the primary time shortly there are some identifiable adjustments being made to pitchers within the system that appear to have improved their outcomes. Isaiah Lowe, who was already fairly good, seems to have been proactively tweaked. The truth that this occurred despite the fact that he was coming off a profitable season is a sign that participant dev is beginning to get a little bit of a footing in San Diego. Dylan Lekso’s slider, some adjustments to the way in which Robby Snelling’s fastball works, the leap Francis Pena has made, and Tirso Ornelas’ launch angle creeping up supply additional proof that there’s great things taking place right here now when, not way back, the participant the Padres drafted or signed was normally the one they needed to roll with in a while.
Whereas this technique is soundly under common in most respects, the explanations it turned so aren’t all dangerous. Far more than anybody ought to “Belief the Course of” they need to “Decide Good Gamers,” and the Padres have a tendency to do this. After all, one staff’s “creativity” is one other’s “impulsivity,” and the Padres might use a Tom Hagen-type who can assist the entrance workplace rein in its occasional (however normally pricey) impulsivity.
