Padres Organization Players of the Week: September 16-22
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Here are the standout performers in the Padres organization this week.
With the official Minor League Baseball season over, the focus becomes solely on the big league squad for the remaining two weeks of the baseball season.
MLB Batter: Seth Mejias-Brean
| AVG | HR | XBH | RBI | OPS | wRC+ |
| .400 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1.555 | 284 |
Seth Mejias-Brean is a feel-good baseball story happening right before our eyes. At 28 years old, and after toiling in the minor leagues for the better part of eight seasons, he is finally getting his shot in The Show. He was drafted in the eighth round in 2012 by the Reds out of the University of Arizona, where he won the 2012 College World Series. Fitting that his first career walk-off home run came against his hometown Diamondbacks on Sunday.
WHAT A STORY! SETH MEJIAS-BREAN RIPS A WALK-OFF 💣 IN THE 10TH!
THE @PADRES WIN!#FriarFaithful pic.twitter.com/iy390iYaxi
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) September 22, 2019
His first home run of the week was the deciding run in a 2-1 win over the Brewers on Wednesday.
This is Mejias-Brean’s third organization in eight years, and he has finally put his stamp on a Major League Baseball game. His numbers down on the farm were never eye-popping, with a career .273 average and .747 OPS, averaging about 12 home runs per year, but with the Padres struggling and out of the race, along with the injuries to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ian Kinsler, the third baseman got the call. In 117 games for Triple-A El Paso this season, he hit .316 with a .826 OPS and 103 wRC+. He likely, and rightfully, will get ample playing time in the Friar’s last week of play in 2019.
MLB Pitcher: Dinelson Lamet
| IP | ERA | K | BB | FIP |
| 6 | 1.50 | 14 | 3 | 2.22 |
Lamet is finding his groove late in the season as he has a 2.65 ERA in three September starts after a solid August, when he posted a 3.54 ERA in five starts, after a rough July (5.09 ERA). Lamet had a career game against Milwaukee this week, striking out a career-high 14, helping the Padres salvage a game against the red-hot Brewers. That was his second start this season of at least six innings with 12 or more strikeouts (August 6 against Seattle, 7 IP, 12 K).
Dinelson Lamet, 14Ks in 30 seconds. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yF5IpB5W0f
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 19, 2019
Lamet, like a few other young Padres starters, is building momentum into the offseason. He would be a welcome addition to the 2020 staff full-time if his arm is strong enough, just one year removed from Tommy John surgery. Although he has started eight games less than his 2017 rookie campaign, his numbers have improved almost across the board. In 21 starts in 2017, he posted a 4.57 ERA, 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 93 ERA+. This year, in 13 starts, he has a 3.84 ERA, a 12.6 strikeout per nine innings rate and a 111 ERA+.
He owns a 2.86 ERA and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his last four starts.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.