A review of the San Diego Padres 2019 MLB Draft

A brief outlook of the entire San Diego Padres 2019 MLB Draft.

The San Diego Padres selected 41 players in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft.

A total of 33 men signed contracts with the team as the team spent a total of $12, 715, 900 on new talent.

The Padres saved $1,343,000 on their first three picks of the draft, as each man signed for under their slot value. That allowed the team to give Hudson Head, the Padres’ fourth pick nearly $2.3 million more than he was slotted to make.

The Padres remained creative with their signing bonuses the whole draft. Bodi Rascon also received above slot value, as the 14th round pick got $432,500 from San Diego instead of the $125,000 that he was slotted for in that round. The high-school left-handed pitcher has a decent upside to him.

Here is a look at all the selections and how they have played this 2019 season.

CJ Abrams– Round 1- Pick #6  (.393/.436/.662  1.104 OPS  150 at-bats)

The San Diego Padres first-round pick made it to Fort Wayne in the Single-A level, before a shoulder injury sidelined him. Abrams showed great hand-eye skill and plenty of power to be an effective major league prospect. He hit .401 in the AZL in 142 at-bats for the Padres.

Joshua Mears– Round 1- Pick #48 (.237/.333/.414  .743 OPS  152 at-bats)

Built like a football player, Mears will have no problem powering baseballs over the fence. His swing is a little robotic at the moment, but he is already showing signs of speeding things up with his hands. There is a high ceiling for Mears, as he shows great maturity for his age. The stocky outfielder is currently playing in the AZL.

Logan Driscoll– Round 2- Pick #73 (.265/.345/.451  .796 OPS   102 at-bats)

Left-handed catching prospect Logan Driscoll started the season slowly but has come on of late for the Tri-City Dust Devils. He has not played much behind the plate, only playing in seven games as a catcher. Instead, the majority of his playing time came as an outfielder.

Hudson Head– Round 3- Pick #84 (.283/.383/.417  .800  120 at-bats)

This third-round pick got first-round money as he signed for $3 million. His spot was predicted to receive $721,900, but the Padres talked him away from his college commitment. He has a great left-handed swing with plenty of upside. Head could be an extraordinary player in the game. The outfielder is currently in Arizona.

Matt Brash– Round 4- Pick #113 (0-0 1.69 ERA/0.75 WHIP  5.1 IP/8 K/0 BB)

This right-handed pitcher out of Niagra University hasn’t thrown much this year, but he projects as a decent starting option for the team. The Canadian pitcher is 6-foot-1 and has a promising fastball which he spots well to both sides of the plate. 2020 will be big for this 21-year-old who is currently pitching for the TinCaps.

Chris Lincoln– Round 5- Pick #143 (0-0 2.87 ERA/1.085 WHIP  15.2 IP/12 K/4 BB)

This right-handed pitcher out of UCSB is pitching for the AZL Padres where he has shown well in a handful of games. He will likely start next season in Fort Wayne. The California native could be a fast riser within the system as he is 21 years old. Armed with a low to mid 90’s fastball and a complicated motion, he might be a key bullpen piece in the future.

Drake Fellows– Round 6- Pick #173 (has yet to debut)

After throwing 104 innings at Vanderbilt University, Fellows has yet to make his professional debut. The Padres are taking it slow with the right-handed pitcher. The right-handed pitcher will likely start next season in Fort Wayne or Tri-City. He has a power fastball and slider combo that could be very effective as a starter or reliever.

Andrew Mitchel– Round 8- Pick #223 (has yet to debut)

21-year-old Andrew Mitchel has yet to make his professional debut. The 6-foot-2 left-hander has plenty of velocity but has mechanical issues that need to be resolved. If the Padres can get him to throw strikes consistently, he could be a decent prospect for the team. He threw 84 innings for San Jose State this season.

Jason Blanchard– Round 9- Pick #263 (1-3 3.86 ERA/1.214 WHIP 28 IP/34 K/11 BB)

Lefty Jason Blanchard is a strike-thrower from Lamar University. The 22-year-old is a bit undersized (6-foot-0) and does not have a particularly high-velocity fastball, but he generally attacks hitters, and that plays well in professional baseball. He is currently in Tri-City.

Ethan Elliott– Round 10- Pick #293 (0-0 1.71 ERA/0.853 WHIP 31.2 IP/35 K/4 BB)

This left-handed pitcher from Lincoln Memorial University has been outstanding in his first taste of pro-ball. Elliott does not have a great fastball but does possess a plus changeup. He is crafty and throws strikes. The hurler should have no trouble advancing. It is not known if he will be able to stick in the rotation, but he has the stuff to be effective out of the pen.

Mason Feole– Round 11- Pick #-323

A left-handed pitcher out of UCONN, Feole had Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined for about 12-18 months. The Padres hope that he comes back strong in 2021.

Matthew Acosta– Round 12- Pick #353 (.249/.338/.323  .661 OPS  201 at-bats)

The Padres took a chance on this former USC outfielder with a 12th round pick. He started in Tri-City, where he put up very good numbers in his first month there. The left-handed hitter has hit the wall and is struggling a bit presently. Acosta has gap power but is not a huge power threat. He does have excellent baseball skills that could be sharpened under proper tutelage. The outfielder is a project but has a decent floor.

Brandon Komar– Round 13- Pick #383 (1-1 6.23 ERA/1.549 WHIP  30.1 IP/35 K/15 BB)

Madison College right-handed pitcher Brandon Komar has a plus arm but has had trouble throwing strikes. Throughout his college and pro career, he is walking a batter every other inning pitched. He projects as a possible bullpen piece, where the right-handed pitcher has shown some success in the past. Komar is currently in Fort Wayne where he is off to a bumpy start.

Bodi Rascon– Round 14- Pick #413 (0-0 0.00 ERA/0.667 WHIP 3 IP/2 K/ 2 BB)

High school left-handed pitcher Bodi Rascon got over slot value. He has already thrown in Arizona this summer and projects as a possible mid-rotation starter. Rascon is presently throwing in the lower 90’s with his fastball, but he could gain more velocity in time.

Andre Tarver- Round 15- Pick #443

DID NOT SIGN

Robert Briley– Round 16- Pick #473 (0-1 5.68 ERA/1.895 WHIP  12.2 IP/6 K/ 14 BB)

This former outfielder has a plus arm on the mound. At 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs, he has plus size and decent fastball/slider mix. He is presently in the AZL where the Seminole State pitcher is working on his craft. Briley projects as a possible bullpen arm for the Padres.

Jared Alvarez-Lopez– Round 17- Pick #503 (.220/.339/.220  .559 OPS   50 at-bats)

This Texas high school product continually shows pop times in the 1.8-1.9 range. He will be a plus defender, but there are some questions about his bat. The right-handed hitter has shown plus power already in his young career. Alvarez-Lopez will probably repeat next season in the desert of Arizona.

Andrew Dean– Round 18- Pick #533 (2-0  2.05 ERA/0.955 WHIP   22 IP/25 K/ 6 BB)

Division two stud Andrew Dean went 10-1 this season at the University of Illinois Springfield with 118 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA. He has decent velocity but is a bit undersized. There are some concerns about him maintaining velocity throughout his starts. Dean does throws strikes and has an edge about him.

Chris Givin– Round 19- Pick #563 (.323/.384/.459  .843 OPS  133 at-bats)

This Xavier shortstop has stood out in 2019. Givin is not a huge power threat, but he generally barrels the baseball up. He played so well in the AZL that the Padres promoted him to Fort Wayne for the final few weeks of the season. The 22-year-old could be a fast riser as he seems to gather information and process it quickly.

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Deacon Medders– Round 20- Pick #593 (0-4 3.66 ERA/1.281 WHIP  32 IP/41 K/16 BB)

This former Alabama pitcher has a big arm. The right-handed hurler threw out of the bullpen mostly in college, and that appears to be where the Padres plan to use him as all 21 of his appearances have been in relief for the Tri-City Dust Devils. Medders has great size at 6-foot-4 and 200 lbs. He could be a relief option fairly soon for the Padres.

Jack Stronach– Round 21- Pick# 623 (.243/.318/.365  .685 OPS  115 at-bats)

Left-handed hitting outfielder Jack Stronach has a decent stroke, but very little power. Despite being 6-foot-3, he hasn’t shown a lot of loft to his swing. The converted third baseman has some ability and has performed reasonably well in Tri-City.

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James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.