Down on the Farm: August 12- Enyel De Los Santos Dominates/Tatis Hits #21
Franchy Cordero- CF, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
2-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI
It’s clear at this point that outfielder Franchy Cordero is playing like a man on a mission. That mission? To get back to the major leagues as soon as humanly possible. After starting the comeback with an RBI triple in the eighth inning, Cordero ended up getting the game-winning single for the Chihuahuas in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday night. Cordero has cooled off a little bit as of late, but he’s still doing enough to show why the Padres brought him up to the bigs in the first place. However, Cordero still has the same problems that ended up sending him back down to the minors, as he has struck out in nearly a third of his at bats over the last month and 27 percent of his at bats since being demoted back to Triple-A. If he wants to get everyday playing time at the next level, that’s going to have to improve.
Michael Kelly– RHP, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
I haven’t been able to watch Michael Kelly in his last two appearances, but it appears that something is wrong with him. After not making it out of the first inning in his last start, and walking five in the process, Kelly walked another five in three innings after coming into the game in relief on Saturday. I can’t speculate on injury because I didn’t see him pitch, but 10 walks in four innings implies that there is something going on. Since joining the Chihuahuas in early July, Kelly has walked over 13 percent of batters, compared to his 8.7 percent walk rate in his time in Double-A. Kelly has also seen his strikeout rate fall by over six percent since his jump to Triple-A as well.
Enyel De Los Santos– RHP, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
8 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Enyel De Los Santos has been the most underrated Padres prospect this season. While the likes of Fernando Tatis, Michel Baez, Pedro Avila, and many others get the attention they rightfully deserve, De Los Santos’ development has flown under the radar in 2017. Over his last ten starts, De Los Santos has been stellar, as he has given up over three earned runs just once during that streak. On top of that, De Los Santos has walked just 16 batters to 62 strikeouts during that 10 start stretch that started on June 13. De Los Santos still has some issues to improve on, as well as the fact he needs to conquer Triple-A, but he may be the most improved prospect this season.
Jerry Keel– LHP, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The 2017 season has been a weird one for left-hander Jerry Keel, as he has bounced around to three different levels and has been both promoted and demoted so far this season. After a fantastic first month or so with the TinCaps to start the year, during which Keel struck out 50 batters in just 48.2 innings, the Padres made an aggressive move in response, pushing Keel to Double-A San Antonio, where he continued to excel with 14 strikeouts in 17 and two-thirds innings pitched. However, even with his success, Keel was demoted back down to Lake Elsinore, where he has run into some struggles over the last two months. The runs have come in bunches for Keel in Elsinore, but he is still maintaining a solid strikeout to walk ratio.
Fernando Tatis Jr.- SS, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
What else is there to say about Fernando Tatis Jr.? Not only is the 18 years old putting on a hitting clinic in the Midwest League, but he is also setting franchise records, as he now holds the record for most home runs in a season by a TinCaps’ player with 21. On top of that, Tatis is now just the second player in the entire minor leagues to have 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases on the season. Even more, Tatis is improving his plate discipline month by month, as his strikeouts rate has shrunk while his walk rate has steadily improved. It’s too early to really say, but Tatis has all the makings of a future superstar if this rapid development continues.
Adrian Morejon– LHP, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Speaking of impressive players playing in Fort Wayne, I am looking at you Barry Bloom, left-hander Adrian Morejon had another solid outing on Saturday night. It hasn’t been as easy for Morejon since being promoted to the Midwest League, but he has still maintained his solid K-BB ratio while maintaining his tenacity on the mound. As an 18-year-old in Fort Wayne, Morejon is already way ahead of schedule with his development, and he looks to only get better going forward.
Austin Smith– RHP, Short Season, Tri-City Dust Devils
1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
I am rooting for Austin Smith more than probably any other prospect. Not only will Smith always be remembered as A.J. Preller’s first draft pick with the Padres, but he will also be remembered for being the first guest on the very first edition of the EVT Podcast. However, the results on the field just haven’t been there for Smith, as he has seen himself get converted to a reliever and demoted to short season ball after nearly a year and a half of struggles in Fort Wayne. Going forward, it’s hard to expect much from Smith, but I’m still rooting for him to find some success.
Jeisson Rosario- CF, Rookie League, AZL Padres
2-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Out of all the teenagers the Padres signed last year out of Latin America, 17-year-old outfielder Jeisson Rosario might be my favorite of all. After getting off to a slow start in the Arizona Rookie League, Rosario has very steadily improved his performance at the plate in recent weeks. Saturday represented yet another step in the teenager’s development. Rosario is now sporting a 141 wRC+ since July 26, and he’s maintaining a strikeout rate that is very similar to his walk rate. The power hasn’t quite come yet for Rosario, but at 17, there’s plenty of time for more power to come.
Sam Keating- RHP, Rookie League, AZL Padres
1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Moises Lugo– RHP, DSL Padres
5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Editorial and Prospect Writer for East Village Times. Twenty-five years young, Patrick has lived in San Diego for his entire life and has been a Padres fan nearly as long. Patrick lives for baseball and is always looking to learn new things about the game he loves through advanced stats.