The San Diego Padres’ prospect team took on the Cubs’ prospects in Mesa, Arizona, on Saturday night. Under the bright lights, plenty of performances merited highlighting. 

The Padres fought hard against the Cubs, but a four-run sixth inning downed the visiting Friars, as they lost 7-5. San Diego now has a 1-2 record in Spring Breakout games. 

Final Score – Padres Prospects 5, Cubs Prospects 7

Top Performers for San Diego:

Ethan Salas – 2-for-3, Home Run, Four RBI, Stolen Base

Kale Fountain – 2-for-2, Home Run, Single, RBI

Luis Gutierrez – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (8 pitches – 5 strikes)

Lan-Hong Su – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (11 pitches – 7 strikes)

Left-hander Luis Gutierrez started for the Padres Prospects, tossing a scoreless first inning with some help from his defense (namely, Dylan Grego and Ryan Wideman). San Diego fell behind in the second inning, as Owen Ayres launched a home run against Padres’ No. 4 prospect Miguel Mendez. The game would not be 1-0 for long, as Kale Fountain launched a solo home run out to deep left field against Chicago’s Will Sanders. Kruz Schoolcraft threw a scoreless third inning, despite working around two walks. Kannon Kemp allowed one run on an infield single by Carter Trice that scored Cole Mathis due to a Jorge Quintana error.

The Padres rallied with walks by Kale Fountain and Ryan Jackson, and with both on the corners, Ethan Salas crushed a hanging changeup to right field for a three-run, go-ahead home run. Salas’ homer gave the Padres a cushion, and Kash Mayfield fed off the momentum, pitching a scoreless fifth inning. The Cubs would not go down quietly, as they took advantage of missed locations by Padres right-hander Jaxon Dalena, scoring four runs on two home runs against the former sixth-rounder.

Cubs pitching would hold the Padres at bay through the seventh and eighth innings, while Carter Trice added on a run for the Cubs on a solo homer against Garrett Hawkins. San Diego made an effort to rally in the ninth, as Kasen Wells led off the ninth with a double. He moved to third on a fly ball off the bat of Jose Verdugo, and Ryan Jackson was hit by a pitch to put the tying run at the plate in Ethan Salas. Salas barreled up another baseball, but right to the glove of center fielder Kane Kepley. Still, Wells came in to score, bringing the game to 7-5. Romeo Sanabria stepped up as the tying run, but got jammed on an inside fastball, flying out to left field to end the game.

With such a game comes plenty of takeaways, so here are five such takeaways from the Padres Prospects’ performance.

Takeaway No. 1 – Ethan Salas is “So Back!”

Prospect fatigue can be a real thing for evaluators. It’s like having the same thing for lunch multiple times in a week, it can be very “eh-”. However, when a talent is as notable as Ethan Salas, don’t sleep on the young man! Salas, playing in his first televised game action since mid-April of last year, showed off all his tools. The Kissimmee, Florida-born catcher went 2-for-3 in the game with a single and a three-run home run. Salas was well on his way to Player of the Game honors, as his three-run home run off Cubs right-hander Brooks Caple gave the Padres contingent a 4-2 lead at the time. 

See ya later ?

Ethan Salas admires an absolute MOON shot@Padres take the lead pic.twitter.com/Lbnw4sMvqy

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) March 22, 2026

Defensively, Salas showed off all the tools that had evaluators hyped. Salas threw out two attempted base thieves, showing off some of the most impressive pop times we’ve seen from a young catcher. Salas cut down Cubs prospect James Triantos in the fifth inning, registering a pop time of 1.9 seconds. That would have ranked as the 11th best in all of MLB last season (hat tip to Fort Wayne TinCaps broadcaster Jaden Taylor for the number!) Salas’ performance today indicates one very clear thing: His talent is still there; it never left, as a matter of fact. If Salas can stay healthy and continue to use his plate discipline for positive results, he could very well force his way into the MLB conversation by season’s end. Is that an ambitious timeline for the young catcher? Yes, but if anyone can make a statement like that, it’s Salas. 

Ethan Salas today

Single
Stolen base
108.5 mph groundout
3 run homer
8 pitch walk
Throws out 2 runners pic.twitter.com/vTtgyQSPmH

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) March 22, 2026

Takeaway No. 2 – Padres pitching development is a real thing, national media. 

Around the industry, there is skepticism regarding the San Diego Padres’ ability to develop pitching. However, if there was one thing on display despite the final line, it was the Padres’ ability to develop young pitching. San Diego’s starter, Luis Gutierrez, went from a 16-year old international signee to now being on the cusp of MLB time. Gutierrez’s work with Padres coaches in developing his velocity and refining his slider has allowed him to make waves over the past six months. Miguel Mendez went from a relative organizational depth piece to someone who can be an MLB contributor in 2026 in the span of one season. Mendez’s ability to find command with coaching, including the likes of Lake Elsinore Storm manager Brian Burres, played a role in his meteoric rise this past season. 

Luis Gutierrez has wrapped up his first inning of work, allowing one hit but no runs, thanks to a leaping grab by Ryan Wideman.

FB – 96.1 mph avg, 10″ iVB, 10″ HB
SL – 84.9 mph, -3″ iVB, 4″ HB
CH – 91.9 mph, 3″ iVB, 12″ HB

Scoreless after one. @EVT_News

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) March 22, 2026

Sure, have the Padres invested heavily in pitching in the draft? Yes, but even so, the value they are getting in the draft is impressive. Despite his outing in the game, right-hander Jaxon Dalena has some of the most intriguing upside in the system with his combination of high-rise velocity and 55-60 grade breaking balls. Kannon Kemp went from a high school arm coming off shoulder injuries to throwing 98 mph with late life. His slider has taken tremendous strides in velocity and movement since he spoke with EVT last season, and his time in the Arizona Fall League has raised the ceiling on his potential. 

Jaxon Dalena’s arsenal vs CHC Prospects:

FB – 95.0 mph avg, 15″ iVB, 6″ HB
CB – 78.8 mph, -12″ iVB, 5″ HB
FC – 90.6 mph, 5″ iVB, 2″ HB
CH – 88.0 mph, 4″ iVB, 10″ HB

I still believe in his upside, can see him starting games for LE/FW this season!

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) March 22, 2026

The Padres don’t have a problem developing pitching; they just trade players before they reach the majors and break out on the big stage. San Diego has rebuilt how they develop pitching over the past 4-5 years, and the results are very much underway. 

Takeaway No. 3 – Kale Fountain’s light-tower power is very real!

Kale Fountain had a slow start to his professional career, slowed by Tommy John surgery and knee injuries. However, when he was on the field, there were talks of his power being some of the best raw power in the system. The 20-year old Fountain, starting in right field for the first time in his professional career, finished 2-for-2 against the Cubs Prospects. Notably, Fountain crushed a 109.1 mph home run to left field in the third inning. Fountain’s power has been highly praised, as Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen gave him a 65 projection for raw power. His power was evident in his batted-ball results, as both his batted balls in play registered at 109.1 mph and 110.3 mph. Fountain is poised to have a strong campaign if he can stay healthy, hitting in the middle of the Lake Elsinore lineup. Adding defensive versatility has been an additional goal for Fountain and the Padres this Spring, and having Fountain be able to play the outfield opens up more avenues for him to get playing time. 

Kale Fountain, the Padres’ No. 10 prospect, got ALL of this one ‼️ #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/J8OBkQelBC

— MLB (@MLB) March 22, 2026

Takeaway No. 4 – First Impressions of Lan-Hong Su

Back in October, the San Diego Padres signed international amateur free agent pitcher Lan-Hong Su out of Taiwan. The team had plenty of remaining international signing money after missing out on name redacted, so they were able to make a strong offer to bring Su into the fold. The right-hander made his first professional appearance in this game, and the results were downright impressive. Su has reportedly been working with Padres veteran Yu Darvish, and the results show it. Su’s fastball clocked in at 96-97 mph on the hill, showing a strong tempo and lower-half balance that allowed him to build the momentum to get his velocity there. The right-hander got two strikeouts in the game, using his fastball in all areas of the zone. While the command of his secondary pitches left room for improvement in the minuscule sample, Su definitely presented a glimpse of the potential he has. Look for him to open the season in the Arizona Complex League. 

A close-up look at Lan-Hong Su’s motion. Looks familiar, no? pic.twitter.com/QpgGZffq0E

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) March 22, 2026

Takeaway No. 5 – The Positional Prospect Depth is Real

Part of what makes the Spring Breakout games such a blast is the opportunities to see players who are not the highly publicised prospects. Ryan Jackson’s performance in the game exemplifies this, as the former USC Trojan reached base two times in five plate appearances. Jackson, who went unranked by many outlets, came in at No. 28 on the EVT Top Prospects list thanks in part to his eye at the plate and ability to reach base, which he showed. Kasen Wells, who came in as an honorable mention on our list, made the most of his lone at-bat, registering a double to left-center field. This was a familiar sight for those who saw him play last season, and while he does not have blistering bat speed, he keeps the barrel in the zone long enough to get solid contact, then lets his speed do the rest. Jose Verdugo, who is coming stateside after a 2025 debut season in the DSL, finished 1-for-2 with a single in the game. Verdugo posted a 138 wRC+ in 30 DSL contests last season, has been able to hit for contact and power early on, and will also likely open the year in the ACL.

Kasen Wells gets in on the action

Back-side double to begin the ninth@Padres // #SpringBreakout pic.twitter.com/Uch9ZfiIgu

— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) March 22, 2026

Despite the Padres’ prospects’ loss in the Spring Breakout game, there is plenty of buzz and excitement for Padres minor league baseball, and EVT will be here to cover the action all season long!

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.