Padres Minors: Down on the Farm- June 27th
Padres Prospect of the Day: Jason Hagerty, LF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
On a day in which the Chihuahuas’ bats once again came to life, Jason Hagerty was the star of the show. The Chihuahuas were getting hits up and down the lineup, but Hagerty was the real star, collecting three hits and driving in two of the Chihuahuas 11 runs. Hagerty has had a seesaw career over the last several seasons, but finally seems to be settling in as a contributing member of the Triple-A roster.
Other Noteworthy Performances:
Hunter Renfroe, RF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas: 4-6, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
With each passing game, Hunter Renfroe shows more and more of his long term big potential. The power has always been readily apparent, but Renfroe has done an even better job in 2016 of translating that power into useable game power. At present, really the only thing holding Renfroe back is consistent contact (and Matt Kemp occupying right field in San Diego). But nights like these will go along way in silencing critics.
Austin Hedges, C, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas: 3-6, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
Pretty much everything that was said about Hunter Renfroe can also be said about Austin Hedges. The doubts have always been there, and are largely still there, but the improvements cannot go overlooked. After a strong start to the season was ruined by a wrist injury, Hedges has come back even better at the plate, slashing .536/.576/1.286 over the last ten days and .385/.441/.846 over the last thirty, good for a .370 average on the season. There’s little doubt Hedges will be a big leaguer again by years end.
Jean Cosme, RHP, Low-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 K
A lottery type pickup in the trade that sent former Padre righty Odrisamer Despaigne to the Baltimore Orioles, Jean Cosme has turned some heads in Fort Wayne. After yet another solid start, Cosme’s ERA is down to 2.80 on the season, as he’s striking out just over a fifth of batters faced and walking only five percent. There’s still a long way for Cosme to go, but the early returns have been stellar.
Emmanuel Ramirez, RHP, Short Season-A Tri-City Dust Devils: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K
After struggling a bit in his first few appearances of the season, Ramirez has really impressed in his last three outings, giving up only three earned runs in those fifteen innings pitched. The wildness comes and goes, and Ramirez has some trouble missing bats, but he keep hits to a minimum and works his way through jams effectively.
Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, AZL Padres: 3-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
The real wild card in the James Shields trade, Fernando Tatis Jr. went deep for the first time on the 2016 season. At only 17 years old, there’s really no better way to describe Tatis than as a huge wild card. With that being said, the raw talent is there, and Tatis could end up being a special player when all is said and done. There’s just a long way to go before that is known.
Hudson Potts, DH, AZL Padres: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R
The Padres surprise first round draft pick had a somewhat quiet day at the plate on Monday, although he did collect a double while scoring one run. Of all the Padres early picks, Potts could be the furthest away from meaningful contributions at the big league level. Even so, the bat is there. Finding a long term position may be the biggest challenge facing Potts going forward.
Lake Bachar, RHP, AZL Padres: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K
In his second appearance of the year for the AZL Padres since being drafted three weeks ago, Bachar looked rather impressive, giving up only one run on two hits while striking out five over three innings. It’s hard to know what the Padres have in Bachar just yet, but it’s clear he’s a real bulldog on the mound.
Ben Sheckler, LHP, AZL Padres: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 K
At 6’8’’, and throwing from the left side, Ben Sheckler is quite an intimidating presence on the mound. This is only his second outing of the season, but it’s good to see recent Padre draft picks getting into action sooner rather than later.
As a note, stay tuned for San Diego Padres first round selection Cal Quantrill’s first appearance for the Padres on Thursday night.
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.