The San Diego Padres held the 21st overall pick on Day 1 of the MLB Draft this year. 

The 21st pick in the draft is a great place to add talent, and with the 21st overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres selected third baseman/right-handed pitcher Coleman Borthwick from South Walton High School in Florida. 

The San Diego Padres are selecting Coleman Borthwick with the No. 21 pick in the 2026 MLB draft. (per @JoeDoyleMiLB)

First high school RHP off the board, unsurprisingly to the Padres. Great stuff with a 6-ft-6, 245 lb frame.pic.twitter.com/IZY1sKvNl3

— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) July 11, 2026

The Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida, Borthwick, went 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA in his senior season. Despite being listed as a two-way player, the Padres organization places more value on his potential on the mound compared to at the plate. 

As a pitcher, Borthwick has the potential to reach triple digits on his fastball. Throwing 100 in the first inning is great, but the 6-foot-6 right-hander also shows the ability to keep his velocity as he pitches deeper into games. He has regularly clocked in at 93-96 in the mid to late innings of games. The fastball will regularly sit between 93-97 mph in its current shape, and he gets both carry and sink on the pitch depending on which orientation he is throwing. Left-handed hitters will see a sinker, while he has a tailing four-seamer with rise as his main offering. Borthwick’s slider is also very advanced for a prep arm, as he throws it in the mid 80s with impressive command for the pitch. The slider has impressive tilt and also mirrors well off the fastball. With professional development, the pitch could very well become a 60-65 grade offering. 

‘26 3B/RHP Coleman Borthwick (FL)#PBAAG24 participant up to 97 mph ? in the early spring. Big bodied 6’6” frame, easy velo w/ a heavy FB and tight SL. @AuburnBaseball recruit is National Rank #10 from South Walton HS (FL)@ShooterHunt | @SWseahawks pic.twitter.com/m9avr0dIKC

— Cayden Hatcher (@CaydenHatcherFL) February 25, 2025

Borthwick also features a high-70s curveball with plus spin, though it has plenty of room for development. Distinguishing the pitch from the slider will allow him to flesh out the arsenal for long-term feasibility as a starting pitcher. Borthwick’s changeup has strong numbers so far, as he has shown an advanced ability for his age of “killing spin”, or in simpler words, lowering the spin rate on the changeup. The changeup averaged ~1500 rpm at 81-84 mph in limited action, and has shown steady improvement as he has progressed in his career. 

The right-hander’s ceiling is that of a No. 1-2 starter with development, and his future is certainly on the mound. Borthwick also made Team USA for the U18 Baseball World Cup, pitching a complete game shutout in the finals. The Padres will need to persuade the right-hander to choose them over a baseball scholarship at Auburn, but with a $4.22 million slot value, the Padres should have almost no difficulty in signing the Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida. 

Samurai Japan ?? lost to Team USA ?? in the #BaseballWorldCupU18 Finals, 2-0.

Starter Ryosuke Sueyoshi allowed 1 run in 3.1 innings. Top prospect Genki Ishigaki allowed 1 run (0 hits) in 3.2 innings.

Coleman Borthwick threw a complete game shutout.pic.twitter.com/YpUMuyK3S0

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) September 14, 2025

The Padres have three four more picks on Day 1.

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.