Padres Minors: Down on the Farm, June 25th

Padre Prospect of the Day: River Stevens, 3B, Double-A San Antonio: 4-5, 4 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Despite entering the season outside of the Padres top 30 prospect list, River Stevens has been one of the lone bright spots in what has been a dreadful season for the Padres Double-A affiliate. After starting the season off in Fort Wayne, Stevens jumped first to Lake Elsinore and then to San Antonio. Stevens still doesn’t profile as much of a big leaguer, but a strong day could be the start of something good going forward.

Other Noteworthy Performances:

Manuel Margot, CF, Triple-A El Paso: 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 CS
Viewed as the Padres number one prospect by many going into the season, Manny Margot has done little to prove otherwise. Margot has been about as consistent as they come in terms of prospect, seemingly getting one or two hits in almost every game he starts. It may be a long shot to see him in San Diego for more than a cup of coffee in September, but it seems he has proven he’s the Padres center fielder of the future without a doubt.

Carlos Pimentel, RHP, Triple-A El Paso: 5 IP, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
While Margot has been a fixture of consistency, Carlos Pimentel has been a fixture of volatility for the El Paso Chihuahuas in 2016. After back to back starts of giving up only two earned runs, and a string of six starts in which Pimentel only gave up 12 earned runs total following a ten run blow up on May 20th, Pimentel was once again inconsistent on Saturday, struggling to find the strike zone with consistency.

Nick Torres, LF, Double-A San Antonio: 3-5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Perhaps no Padre prospects has been more surprisingly good in 2016 than outfielder Nick Torres. Despite some struggles in Lake Elsinore at the end of the 2015 season, Torres began the season in Double-A this season and has not disappointed, hitting over .300 on the year, including a .351 average over the last 30 days. The power has yet to materialize but solid defense and a good approach at the plate has risen Torres prospect stock greatly this season.

Dinelson Lamet, RHP, Double-A San Antonio: 6 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 9 K
Despite having a dearth of pitching talent near the top of the farm, the Padres do have a few interesting arms. Similarly to Pimentel mentioned above, Dinelson Lamet also has loads of potential but struggles with consistency and control in the strike zone. Both good still be major league pitchers, but may end up being more likely as bullpen pieces in the long term.

Luis Urias, 2B, High-A Lake Elsinore: 3-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
As a unit the Lake Elsinore Storm have been far from impressive in large stretches this season. The same cannot be said about Luis Urias. Despite being somewhat overlooked, especially with the spotlight on the guy to his right in the middle infield, Urias has quietly been improving every game, slashing .370/.485/.444 over the last ten days. He’s never going to hit for power, but a solid glove and consistent bat could see him be a major league starter.

Michael Gettys, OF, High-A Lake Elsinore: 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
If there is one player in the Padres system that screams potential it is Michael Gettys. A potential five tool player if his bat fully comes around, Gettys impressed in Low-A ball to start the season before being called up to High-A last week. To this point he’s gotten 5 hits over his first 14 at bats, including his first home run in High-A on Saturday night.

Javier Guerra, SS, High-A Lake Elsinore: 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Following the trade of Craig Kimbrel to Boston, some thought the Padres had a new number one prospect in Javier Guerra. However, with the struggles of Guerra, and the strong performance of Margot, it’s clear that Guerra still has a lot of work to do. Despite hitting barely over .200 for the season, Guerra has picked it up slightly over the last week. The glove has always been there but the bat has become more and more of a question this season. Only time will tell how the bat progresses going forward.

Austin Allen, C, Low-A Fort Wayne: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Despite cooling down as of late, Allen has quietly had a strong season for the Tin Caps of Fort Wayne. There are still significant questions about his glove behind the plate, but the bat looks like it can play at any position he ends up at.

Austin Smith, RHP, Low-A Fort Wayne: 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
One player who has had a real rough go of it since being drafted last year, Smith looked better in his start on Saturday night. There’s still a lot of work to do, especially with low strikeout numbers and an ugly 7+ ERA, but hopefully Smith can build off this.

Boomer White, 3B, Short-Season Tri-City: 0-4, 1 RBI, 2 K
A mere weeks after being drafted in the 2016 draft, now former Texas A&M infielder Boomer White has gotten off to a decent start in Tri-City, hitting .250 over his first 20 at bats following a hitless night on Saturday.

Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, AZL Padres: 2-4, 3 R, 1 3B
With the struggles of Erik Johnson in a Padres uniform, it’s clear Tatis is going to either be the jewel or the bust of the James Shields trade. After a somewhat slow start with the Arizona League Padres, Tatis had a solid night on Saturday.

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.