San Diego Padres 2019 Midseason Top 50 Prospects

Luis Campusano - Photo credit Gail Verderico, @1baseballchick on Twitter

The San Diego Padres are widely considered to have one of, if not the best, farm systems in all of baseball. The team has promoted several highly ranked players such as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Francisco Mejia. Still, the organization is loaded with both pitching and position player talent across all levels. Now that we’re a few weeks past the MLB trade deadline, let’s take a look at the Top 50 prospects for the Friars.


Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact (e.g. middle reliever, low-ceiling UT guys)
Tier 5: Players who are worth keeping an eye on, but likely to never make a team’s 40-man roster

 

Tier 1:
1. MacKenzie Gore, LHP (Preseason #2)
Age: 20
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats(two levels): 9-2, 1.72 ERA, .84 WHIP, 130 K, 27 BB, 99.1 IP
Simply put, the best LHP prospects in all of baseball. After dominating at Lake Elsinore(A+) to begin 2019, Gore was called up to (AA) Amarillo. There, he has had some trouble adjusting, pitching to a 4.50 ERA with 7 BB in 20 IP. However, he has continued to show strikeout “stuff” and his K/9 rate has never fallen below 9.0. Gore has a four-pitch arsenal and all four are plus offerings. His pitches play up even more because of his delivery, which features a high leg kick that creates a deceptive look to both left and right handed batters. Gore has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation type pitcher, especially if he can move past blister issues that plagued him early in his career.

2. Taylor Trammell, OF (Preseason Reds #1)
Age: 21
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: .230/.341/.328, 7 HR, 34 RBI 19 SB
Selected #35 overall in the 2016 Draft by the Reds, Trammell was cruising along through the minors until 2019. He has struggled somewhat in AA this year. However, he had a good showing in the 2019 Futures games to go along with his MVP performance from the previous year in the same showcase. Trammell has the speed to play CF but his lack of arm strength and his projectable profile as a power hitter, could result in him being moved to a corner spot sometime in the future. Trammell was traded to the Padres just before the 2019 deadline, in the three-team deal that sent Franmil Reyes, LHP Logan Allen, and 3B Victor Nova to the Indians.

 

Tier 2:
3. Luis Patino, RHP (Preseason #8)
Age: 19
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: 6-8, 2.69 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 113 K, 34 BB, 87.0 IP
Patino recently got the call up to AA Amarillo and will be one of the youngest pitchers at that level. So far, he has shown a four-pitch arsenal that he commands well. He has good late action on his fastball that usually sits in the low-mid 90s range. His slider and curveball are both plus offerings and his changeup should continue to improve. He doesn’t have a very large frame but has shown good durability so far and the Padres have been able to manage his innings to this point.

4. CJ Abrams, SS (Preseason N/A)
Age: 18
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: A
2019 Stats: .393/.436/.647, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 15 SB
Abrams was selected 6th overall by the Padres in the 2019 Draft. He has only played in 34 games since his selection but so far, the Alpharetta, GA native, has justified the Friars in using their first round pick on him. Abrams’ calling card is speed and he has shown plenty of that, stealing 15 bases in 21 attempts so far. His bat control from the left side of the plate, glove, and arm are all average-good tools. Although he isn’t known for his power, at 6’2″ 185 lbs, Abrams has the frame to have some pop in his bat if he keeps building his strength. He will need to rely on more than just speed as he continues to progress and the defenses he faces get better.

5. Michel Baez, RHP (Preseason #6)
Age: 23
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: 3-2, 2.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 38 K, 11 BB, 27.0 IP
Baez was recently called up the majors and has pitched 10.2 innings of relief without yielding an earned run so far. The 6’8″ right-hander has the ability to touch upper 90s with his fastball. His slider is a plus offering that sits in the upper 80s. He also throws a curveball and changeup that both could be average to good offerings as he continues to develop. With his size, repeating his delivery is always going to be a key factor to his success. With the Padres strictly using Baez as a reliever in 2019, they could be grooming him to be their future closer.

6. Adrian Morejon, LHP (Preseason #7)
Age: 20
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: 0-4, 4.25 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 44 K, 15 BB, 36.0 IP
Morejon is one of the top LHP prospects in the minors. His four-pitch arsenal features a fastball that sit 93-96 MPH, a standard changeup, curveball, and a knuckle-change that may be his most interesting weapon. He is able to repeat his delivery fairly consistently and shows good command of his pitches. Although still very young, Morejon showed enough to merit a call up by the Padres on 7/21/19. He has been roughed up somewhat in five appearances(two starts), pitching to a 10.13 ERA and 2.25 WHIP in just eight innings. Once he makes the proper adjustments, he should be able to settle in as a mid rotation type starter.

7. Xavier Edwards, SS (Preseason #10)
Age: 20
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .334/.389/.407 13 2B, 8 3B, 30 SB
Edwards was drafted #38 with a competitive balance pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. Much like another former Padres pick, Mallex Smith, Edwards’ best tool is his speed. He doesn’t have much of a tool when it comes to power. However, he makes good contact and has a minuscule 11.6% strikeout rate this year. He has an above average glove and adequate arm. If he continues to develop, Edwards should push for playing time in what is turning out to be a very crowded, very young, middle infield in San Diego.

8. Ryan Weathers, LHP (Preseason #12)
Age: 19
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A
2019 Stats: 3-5, 3.59 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 75 K, 15 BB, 82.2 IP
It really is ridiculous the sheer glut of LHP the Padres have in the minors. Selected with the 7th overall pick of the 2018 Draft, Weathers is the son of former MLB pitcher David Weathers. Nothing in his repertoire is going to really dazzle but he commands all three of his pitches well and throws them all for strikes. Weathers is an athletic player and his delivery is one that he has no problems repeating. Even if he just keeps fine tuning everything and never develops electric “stuff”, Weathers will be just fine making a living as a “pitcher” rather than a “thrower”.

9. Hudson Head, OF (Preseason N/A)
Age: 18
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: R
2019 Stats: .270/.374/.405 1 HR, 12 RBI, .791 OPS
The Padres selected Head in the 3rd round of the 2019 Draft. After signing for a 3rd round record three million dollar signing bonus, he was assigned to AZL Padres 1. Head is a lanky guy who bats and throws left-handed. He has a nice repeatable swing that generates some nice pop. He is somewhat of a late bloomer but once he was on the Padres radar, they obviously liked what they saw. His speed is currently his best tool. However, if he adds some good weight to his frame, his natural power and above average work with the glove should translate nicely to a corner outfield spot. He has the potential to be a two-way player as well and has shown the ability to touch upper 80’s with his fastball. For now, the Padres seem content to let him play everyday in the OF.

10. Andres Munoz, RHP (Preseason #18)
Age: 20
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: 3-4, 3.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 58 K, 18 BB, 35.2 IP
80 grade fastball. Munoz sits upper 90s and touches low 100s with his power pitch. He also has an upper 80s slider to go with it. He has issues with control that lead to some high BB numbers but as he fine tunes his delivery and arm slot, he could develop into one of the premier closers in the majors and he is still just 20 years old! Munoz made his MLB debut on 7/12/19 and in 13.1 IP he has 16 K to go along with 8 BB.

11. Esteury Ruiz, 2B (Preseason #14)
Age: 20
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .239/.300/.357 6 HR, 36 RBI, 34 SB
After signing with the Royals in the 2015 international signing period, Ruiz was traded to the Padres in a six-player deal that saw Trevor Cahill go to Kansas City. Ruiz is a very toolsy player and has great all-around athleticism. He was named the AZ League MVP after a 2017 season in which he led the league in Avg., hits, doubles, triples and total bases. He continued his good work at Fort Wayne(Class A) in 2018, where he had 49 SB got on base at a .324 clip. However, he had 141 SO which was good(bad?) for a 28.6 % rate. His struggles at the plate have continued this year as he has faced better pitching at Lake Elsinore(A+). Ruiz is still young and very raw. He needs to continue to fine tune his skills at the plate and in the field. If he can improve his plate discipline, he has a good chance to be a MLB player. It is just going to take some time.

12. Owen Miller, SS (Preseason #27)
Age: 22
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: .286/.348/.432 12 HR, 60 RBI, .780 OPS
More of a contact hitter than power, Miller would be a prime candidate to see what he could do with the new AAA baseball. His compact swing allows him to drive the ball all over the field. He has above average speed, adequate glove and arm to play any position the infield. It will be tough to crack a big league infield such as the Friars have, but a player that can handle the bat like Miller and be a Utility weapon in the field, should be useful nonetheless.

13. Edward Olivares, OF (Preseason #22)
Age: 23
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: .292/.357/.473, 17 HR, 73 RBI, 29 SB
Much like Miller, Olivares is at the point in his progression that he should be getting called up to AAA in the near future. In order to protect him from Rule 5, he has already been placed on the Padres 40-man roster. He has a shed full of tools and the sky seems to be the limit if he can tap into his potential with each one. Plate discipline is the area in which he struggles the most but even there, in 2019, he has managed a respectable 17.7% SO rate. He still has plenty of room on his wiry frame to add bulk. His speed and plus arm allow him to play all three OF positions.

14. Hudson Potts, 3B (Preseason #16)
Age: 20
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: .224/.298/.397, 13 HR, 54 RBI
Is it any wonder why the Sod Poodles lead the Southern Division of the Texas League by 5 games? Potts is a 2016 draftee out of Southlake Carroll, TX. He has the type of power and arm that should allow him to play the hot corner in the future. He is by no means a speedster. Potts needs to work on his plate discipline as his SO% is a very troubling 31.6%. He does however have a BB rate of 8.6%, which is not as worrisome. He seems to have the type of attitude to where he will continue to work on the approach and generate dynamic power with his swing.

15. Luis Campusano, C (Preseason #23)
Age: 20
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .323/.394/.499, 12 HR, 67 RBI, .893 OPS
The Padres drafted Campusano in the 2nd round of the 2017 Draft and he was the first catcher selected that year. He has shown an advanced eye at the plate and has continued to lower his SO% to a paltry 11.7 % this year. There is also some pop in his bat as evidenced by his .175 ISO. However his best tools are behind the plate where he has consistently shown above average pop time and a very strong arm. The Padres traded for Francisco Mejia in 2018 but that doesn’t seem to have deterred Luis from continuing to develop into what should be a very promising MLB backstop.

16. Joshua Mears, OF (Preseason N/A)
Age: 18
ETA: 2024
Highest Level: AZL
2019 Stats: .244/.347/.417, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB
The Padres thought highly enough of Mears to select him with the 48th overall pick in the 2019 Draft. Don’t let his large frame fool you, he can swipe some bags. Very raw tools. Pull heavy right-hander that can hit for power but needs cut down on the strikeouts. Projects as a corner OF and has the arm strength to play RF.

 

Tier 3:
17. Jacob Nix, RHP (Preseason #19)
Age: 23
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AAA
2019 Stats: 0-2, 2.70 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 17 K, 5 BB, 13.1 IP

18. Jeisson Rosario, OF (Preseason #20)
Age: 19
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .233/.354/.297, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 70 BB

19. Austin Allen, C (Preseason #26)
Age: 25
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: .303/.363/.585, 16 HR, 52 RBI .948 OPS

20. Grant Little, OF (Preseason #28)
Age: 22
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: A
2019 Stats: .256/.338/.315, 21 RBI, 6 SB

21. Gabriel Arias, 2B/3B (Preseason #29)
Age: 19
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .303/.345/.453, 13 HR, 64 RBI, 8 SB

22. Tirso Ornelas, OF (Preseason #21)
Age: 19
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: .210/.303/.261, 1 HR, 33 RBI

23. Ty France, 3B (Preseason #43)
Age: 25
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: .399/.477/.770, 27 HR, 89 RBI, 1.247 OPS

24. Ronald Bolanos, RHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 22
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: AA
2019 Stats: 11-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 126 K, 48 BB, 117.1 IP

 

Tier 4:
25. Tucupita Marcano, 2B (Preseason #46)
Age: 19
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A
2019 Stats: .277/.333/.344, 2 HR, 40 RBI 14 SB

26. Nick Margevicius, LHP (Preseason #39)
Age: 23
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: 4-3, 4.12 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 44 K, 12 BB, 59.0 IP

27. Joey Cantillo, LHP (Preseason NR)
Age: 19
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: A+
2019 Stats: 9-4, 2.11 ERA, .92 WHIP, 135 K, 31 BB, 102.1 IP

28. Pedro Avila, RHP (Preseason #30)
Age: 22
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: MLB
2019 Stats: 0-2, 3.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP 28 K, 7 BB, 22.2 IP

29. Anderson Espinoza, RHP (Preseason #17)
Age: 21
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: A

30. Jorge Ona, OF (Preseason #37)
Age: 22
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AA

31. Buddy Reed, OF (Preseason #15)
Age: 24
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AA

32. Jose Castillo, LHP (Preseason #24)
Age: 23
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB

33. Travis Radke, LHP (Preseason #40)
Age: 26
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AAA

34. Dylan Coleman, RHP (Preseason #31)
Age: 22
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A+

35. Mason Thompson, RHP (Preseason #33)
Age: 21
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A+

36. Logan Driscoll, C/OF (Preseason N/A)
Age: 21
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: A

37. Reggie Lawson, RHP (Preseason #34)
Age: 22
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: AA

38. David Bednar, RHP (Preseason #35)
Age: 24
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AA

 

Tier 5:
39. Blake Hunt, C (Preseason #40)
Age: 20
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A

40. Michael Gettys, OF (Preseason #42)
Age: 23
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: AAA

41. Esteban Quiroz, IF (Preseason NR)
Age: 27
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: AAA

42. Brett Kennedy, RHP (Preseason #44)
Age: 25
ETA: 2019
Highest Level: MLB

43. Olivier Basabe, SS/2B/OF (Preseason #45)
Age: 22
ETA: 2022
Highest Level: A+

44. Luis Almanzar, SS (Preseason #36)
Age: 19
ETA: 2021
Highest Level: A

45. Robbie Podorsky, 1B (Preseason #47)
Age: 24
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: A+

46. Henry Henry, RHP (Preseason #51)
Age: 20
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: A

47. Joe Galindo, RHP (Preseason #48)
Age: 24
ETA: 2020
Highest Level: A+

48. Juan Fernandez, C (Preseason #50)
Age: 20
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: A

49. Reginald Preciado, SS (Preseason N/A)
Age: 16
ETA: 2025
Highest Level: NA

50. Cristian Heredia, OF (Preseason NR)
Age: 18
ETA: 2023
Highest Level: R




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