Down on the Farm: Weekly Review July 31-August 6- Baez, Potts, Ruiz & Gore

Franchy Cordero– OF, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
5-17, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 8 TB

There may be a logjam in the outfield in San Diego, but Franchy Cordero has been doing just about everything in his power to force a call-up back to San Diego. Since being demoted back to the minor leagues following the return of Manuel Margot at the end of June, Cordero has slashed .352/.382/.686 with a 167 wRC+ in 99 plate appearances. However, Cordero is still facing the same problems that plagued him at the major league level, as he has walked in only two percent of his plate appearances while striking out in over 25 percent. As we saw with Cordero’s brief major league stint, that just isn’t a recipe for success at the highest level. Sure, Cordero has the speed and defense to make an impact on the game, but he will never be a starting outfield if he can’t get his plate discipline issues under more control.

Bryan Rodriguez– RHP, Triple-A, El Paso Chihuahuas
9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Who saw this coming from Bryan Rodriguez? Toiling away in the Padres’ minor league system since 2010, this may just have been the best start of Rodriguez’s professional career. Now 26, it appears Rodriguez is running out of time to get a big league chance with the Friars. However, with the state of things in San Diego, maybe Rodriguez can earn himself a big league promotion before the end of the season.

Webster Rivas– C, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
7-17, 1 RBI, 5 R, 7 TB

Enyel De Los Santos– RHP, Double-A, San Antonio Missions
7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

I have been a big fan of Enyel De Los Santos for a while and it seems to finally be coming together for the big right-hander. He’s always had a pretty substantial problem with his control and command, but this year he’s made some notable improvements with his mechanics. Prior to a poor outing in his previous start, De Los Santos had a string of eight straight appearances with three earned runs or fewer, with seven of those eight appearances lasting at least five innings. There’s still some work to do mechanically for De Los Santos, but if he can continue to develop his secondaries and improve his command of those pitches, he still has a good chance of being a big league pitcher. Whether that’s in a rotation or bullpen all depends on how that control and command continue to develop.

Rod Boykin– OF, High-A, Lake Elsinore Storm
10-23, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R, 18 TB

Rod Boykin has really come out of nowhere this year and been one of the most surprising players on the Padres’ farm. Drafted in the 12th round of the 2013 MLB draft as an 18-year-old, Boykin wasn’t really a name until this year. Starting off the season in Fort Wayne, Boykin really took off in the Midwest League. After a strong first 205 at bats, Boykin saw a promotion to Lake Elsinore, where he has been even better, as he is slashing .362/.417/.681 with a 190 wRC+ in his first 94 at bats in High-A. At this point, the sky is the limit for this kid with how he is playing this year.

Hudson Potts– 3B, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
7-21, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 13 TB

Michel Baez- RHP, Low-A, Fort Wayne TinCaps
6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 14 K

Is there anything left to be said about Michel Baez that hasn’t already been said by myself or any other person who has watched him pitch? This guy is simply unreal. With 14 more strikeouts in his outing this week, Baez now has 54 strikeouts in just 34 and two-thirds innings pitched. It’s clear Baez is simply too much for the Midwest League hitters, as Baez has walked only as many batters as he has given up earned runs (five for both). It seems like there is no doubt that Baez gets the call-up to Lake Elsinore to finish what has a been a rather impressive debut.

Tre Carter– OF, Short Season, Tri-City Dust Devils
6-10, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 7 TB

Will Stillman– RHP, Short Season, Tri-City Dust Devils
6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Drafted in the sixth round of last year’s MLB Draft, right-hander Will Stillman has had his share of ups and downs so far this season. After struggling through his first two starts in Fort Wayne, in which he gave up a combined five earned in just three innings of work, Stillman made a few successful starts before having two more bad starts. However, after his last poor outing on July 5, the Padres moved Stillman down to Tri-City where he has excelled so far. In 14 innings since that demotion, Stillman has struck out 20 while giving up just three earned runs. He’s obviously pitching against talent far inferior, he is 24 after all, but this should still give him a good boost of confidence to close out the season strong.

Esteury Ruiz– 2B, Rookie League, AZL Padres 2
6-18, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 11 TB

After tearing it apart in the AZL over the first few weeks of the season, 18-year-old Esteury Ruiz found himself being traded from Kansas City to San Diego. Since joining the Padres AZL team on July 24, Ruiz has actually struggled, collecting only nine hits in his first 40 plate appearances. However, Ruiz has been much better as of late, as six of those hits came this week, including four of the extra base variety. Sure, Ruiz has struggled with plate discipline, as he has struck out in nearly 30 percent of his plate appearances with the Padres, but the feel for hitting is most certainly there.

MacKenzie Gore- LHP, Rookie League, AZL Padres 1
4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

It’s pretty clear that Gore is much too good for his current level. With another strong outing this week, Gore now has 13 strikeouts over his first eight and two-thirds innings. With a plus fastball and three possible plus breaking pitches, the 18-year-old Gore could be a fast riser through the Padres farm system if he continues to pitch so well.

Danny Tovar– LF, DSL Padres
10-16, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, 16 TB

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.