Down on the Farm: June 16- Adrian Morejon!

Christian Villanueva– 3B, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K

Considering the Padres were going into a rebuilding year, they had no qualms with signing a plethora of minor league free agents in hopes that one or two would pan out. Given the sense of open opportunity on the Padres’ big league roster, there is a window for some of these guys to earn themselves playing time. Jose Pirela has shown this with his hot start to the season. Christian Villanueva is another guy hoping to take advantage of this opportunity. The 25-year-old, former Chicago Cubs prospect is now slashing .307/.362/.526 on the season with eight long balls. It’s hard to imagine a spot for him opening up with the Padres second/third base depth at the big league level, but he could find a spot if he continues playing well as the season progresses.

Christian Bethancourt– RHP, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

When I first saw Bethancourt’s line I had to double-check it. After doing some research, this is Bethancourt’s first perfect inning of the season with the Chihuahuas. It seems like almost every outing for Bethancourt comes with at least one walk or one hit and sometimes multiple runs. However, on Friday night he was able to get through an entire clean inning, which represents a very positive development for the converted pitcher. Carter Capps also threw a scoreless inning for the Chihuahuas, which is another positive development.

Jose Rondon– SS, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Jose Rondon gets a bad rep for being a non-major league prospect. However, Rondon is still turning some heads with the Missions so far this season. Rondon is now slashing .330/.389/.452 over the last month, and is probably going to see a promotion to Triple-A again before the end of the year. Maybe he can be a big leaguer after all?

Yimmi Brasoban– RHP, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB

In his second outing of the season, Yimmi Brasoban got through another scoreless inning. Although he was a topic of conversation as a potential Rule-5 selection, Brasoban was not selected and remained with the Padres. Brasoban was electric in time split between the Storm and Missions last year, and he looks to build on that success now that he is healthy.

Eric Lauer– LHP, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Eric Lauer has just been a model of consistency for the Storm so far this season. Not only is Lauer a Cal League All Star, but he also ranks in the top ten in the Cal League in ERA, FIP, and strikeouts. It appears likely that Lauer isn’t long for the Cal League. So if you haven’t seen him yet you should probably get out there while you still can.

Logan Allen– LHP, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Another start, another solid Logan Allen performance. Not much more to say here. His ERA is just over 2.00 now, and he will be in Lake Elsinore after he appears in the Low-A All Star game.

Tre Carter– CF, SS, Tri-City Dust Devils
2-3, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB

I remember thinking when Tre Carter was drafted in 2016, “I hope the Padres can sign this guy”. Well the Padres did sign Carter, and so far it has paid dividends. After collecting a hit and a walk and scoring one run in his professional debut on Thursday night, Carter looked impressive on Friday night. Carter did have a strong showing in the Arizona rookie league last year, but this is his first taste of real professional baseball. Carter has all sorts of athleticism and speed and is a huge boom/bust prospect with a lot of potential there.

Adrian Morejon- LHP, SS, Tri-City Dust Devils

3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
In his professional debut, Adrian Morejon looked solid in three innings. After giving up a leadoff home run in the first inning, Morejon gave up only two hits in the remainder of his start, including an infield single. Not much can be made of this start because it was only a few innings, but it’s good to see Morejon healthy and on the mound.

Martin Carrasco- RHP, DSL Padres

5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Danny Tovar– LF, DSL Padres

2-4, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 1 BB

Patrick Brewer

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.