10 More Padres’ Prospects to Watch in 2018

Jorge Ona

The 21-year-old outfielder, from Havana, Cuba signed as a free agent with the Padres on July 20, 2016, receiving a reported $7 million dollar bonus. Jorge Oña’s resume includes a No. 8 ranking on MLB.com’s Top 30 International Prospects list, games in Cuba’s Junior National Leagues and the (Confederación Panamericana de Béisbol) COPABE 18U Pan American Championship in 2014.

On April 2, 2017 Ona was assigned to the minor league (A) Fort Wayne TinCaps.

March 1, 2017, Oña was assigned to the Padres.

Scouts: Oña is 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, compact and powerful, his swing has the potential to carry him to a ceiling of an everyday major league outfielder. Some say Oña’s future value is firmly in his bat. He has shown the ability to hit for power and continues to develop into a well-rounded overall hitter. As A teenager he displayed a good arm and the ability to play all three outfield positions. Oña’s overall skill set might make him best suited for a corner spot.

Hitting: Balanced stance with mild load and small stride, torso quick hands, above-average bat speed, mild leverage; aggressive approach especially against fastballs, will expand the zone, gets off balanced on off speed. Power: Plus raw power to all fields, ball flies off bat, strong with quick hands; tool plays down a notch at present due to aggressive approach; can max out with improved approach. Glove:Below-average reads and routes in the outfield, slow first step; splits time between corner outfield positions. Arm: Average arm strength for right field, good carry and accuracy; would play above-average for left field. Source: baseballprospectus.com

Blake Hunt

The 19-year-old catcher, was picked in the 2nd round 69th overall of the 2017 Amateur Entry Draft out of Mater Dei High School Santa Ana, California. Blake Hunt was named 2017 Rawling’s-Perfect Game Honorable Mention and All-American California – All Region 2nd Team and back-to-back 2015/2016 Underclass Honorable Mentions.

“He throws real well,” said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. “He has the chance to neutralize the running game, another guy with good makeup. From our standpoint, it wasn’t about need or anything like that. In the system, it’s always important to have catching. We just felt like those were the two best guys on the board at that time.” Source: AJ Cassavell with MLB.com

June 24, 2017, Hunt was assigned to Rookie AZL Padres-1.

Scouts: Hunt 6-foot-3, 185 pounds arguably has a better pop time than Campusano or Allen. His hitting lags behind and he’s not very fast.

Jordy Barley

The 18-year-old shortstop, and 15th ranked prospect from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic signed with the Padres on (J2 signings) July, 2, 2016, for $1 million.

On June 24, 2017, Barley was assigned to the Rookie AZL Padres-1. Barley appeared in 49 games with 182 at-bats, four home runs, 28 RBI and great hitting line.

Scouts: Barley 6-foot-0, 175 pound has been clocked at 6.4 seconds in the 60-yard dash several times and glides around the infield on defense. Speedy shortstop. Undeveloped but fairly high ceiling. Barley leads with very strong hips through the zone and packs some solid power on his generously-listed six-foot frame. True two-strike approach.

Reggie Lawson

The 20-year-old right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Padres in the 2016 draft, lottery round B pick out of Victor Valley Senior High School Victorville, California. Reggie Lawson was a standout reliever for USA Baseball’s 18U national team in 2015, and was committed to Arizona State before signing. The Padres agreed to terms with Lawson received a $1.9 million bonus. A bonus that’s over twice the $905,900 slot allocation that came with the 71st overall selection.

“If you asked us going into the year if we had a chance to get Reggie Lawson at No.71, I think most people you interview would’ve said, ‘No, he’ll be gone by pick 25 or 30,'” general manager A.J. Preller said after the selection.

Padres scouting director Mark Conner forecasted Lawson will develop into “a middle-of-the-rotation big league starter down the road.”

Scouts: Lawson 6-foot-4, 205 pounds — 91-94 and up to 96 with his heat a better curveball that flashes plus when thrown with a little extra behind it. Exceptional athleticism and a chance to be a non-zero at the plate. He has trouble working deeper into games and facing hitters multiple times but his stuff still misses 28 percent of bats in 2017 this is more about durability and lack of stamina than stuff or deception. ERA is 6.00 after 50+ innings, but he has a lot of upside due to his build and the way his stuff has been coming around.

Eguy Rosario

The 18-year-old second baseman and third baseman, from the Dominican Republic was signed as a free agent with the Padres on August 25, 2015.

Rosario started the 2017 season with the minor league(A) Fort Wayne TinCaps where he was the youngest player in the league. He was having problems with hitting well there with a .206 batting average, so they dropped him to rookie ball with the AZL Padres-1 and he had a improved .283 batting average.

February 28, 2018, Rosario was assigned to the Padres.

Scouts: A 5-foot-9, 150 pound spark plug, Rosario has a line-drive stroke with impressive discipline for such a young player. Peak projection: .260/.340/.380, 10-15 home runs, 20-25 stolen bases.

Jeff Weber

Hello, my name is Jeff Weber. I am a life long San Diego Padres Fan and a 27 year San Diegan. Stay up to date with Padres trade rumors, breaking news, prospects, injuries and in-depth reports on players here at EVT. ​