The Peoria Javelinas’ season continued down in Arizona, with several Padres prospects seeing action for the team in their midweek slate of games.

Here is a recap of their performances:

Ethan Salas – 4-for-8, Six RBI
Leodalis De Vries – 2-for-4, RBI, Stolen Base
Harry Gustin – 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (31 pitches – 19 strikes on 10/16)
Ryan Bergert – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K (57 pitches – 30 strikes on 10/17)
Luis German – 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 0 K (27 pitches – 14 strikes on 10/17)

More of the Padres’ prospect action came on the mound over the two games, with Ryan Bergert taking the hill for the Javelinas’ October 17 game.

The right-hander delivered an outing that harkened back to his second-half form from this season, firing three scoreless innings. Bergert’s ball-strike ratio was nearly an even 50-50 split (52.6% strikes), but in a shorter outing, it wouldn’t be as big a concern as a full start. Bergert has continued to find his command the more time has passed since he underwent Tommy John Surgery, and his relatively low three-quarter arm slot could make his strong fastball-slider-changeup combo a deceptive mix for opposing batters as he nears Triple-A and eventually The Bigs.

Two Padre relievers saw game action as well, and their results were more complicated than the stat lines show. Harry Gustin threw for the Javelinas on October 16, tossing 0.2 innings and allowing three runs, all unearned. Called upon for the sixth inning with a 7-1 lead and runners on the corners, Gustin struck out Niko Kavadas before issuing a walk to Henry Bolte, loading the bases. Gustin induced a ground ball to second from former Padre minor leaguer Max Ferguson, but a throwing error from second baseman Juan Perez allowed both inherited runs to score. Gustin and the Javelinas had a chance to end the inning, but the error opened the floodgates for the opposing Mesa Solar Sox, as Mac Horvath drove in a run with a single, and a fielding error led to a third run scoring. Gustin was able to regroup to retire leadoff man David Mershon on an RBI groundout, but his outing came to a close after three runs of the unearned variety came around to score.

Luis German saw his second outing of the fall in the Javelinas’ October 17 game. Unfortunately, his command struggles saw the right-hander surrender two runs on three hits while recording a lone out in relief. German’s high velocity has the power to be elite against opposing batters, but German needs to make the necessary adjustments to reel in this high-octane arsenal of his, be it a mechanical or mental adjustment. In the fall, he’s walked four batters and allowed five hits in what is essentially one inning’s worth of work. Pairing this with the fact that the amount of batters he walked this season (26.5%) was higher than his strikeout rate (21.9%), it raises concerns about how far German will be able to thrive in the minors.

Despite the action on the mound, the real midweek headlines came off the bats of Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries. The Padres’ most highly touted prospects combined to go 6-for-12 over the two games. Ethan Salas has really found his swing in the AFL, and it seems it isn’t a Javelinas game without yet another double from the 18-year-old catcher. As a matter of fact, half of Salas’ 10 hits in the AFL have been doubles. Spreading the ball gap-to-gap was a major element of Salas’ scouting report when the Padres signed him, and it has certainly shown against some high-level competition in Arizona. Salas even showed off his baserunning IQ with a steal of third base, and it wasn’t the only steal from a Padres prospect.

Leodalis De Vries stole his first base of the young season against the arm of Cubs top prospect Moises Ballesteros. The stolen base was just a part of the young De Vries’ performance on Wednesday, as he recorded a multi-hit game at the plate, using his speed to generate pressure on the infielders and reach base safely. De Vries has shown a certain tenacity at the plate, battling his way back into counts in a way that sends chills down pitchers’ spines. Salas & De Vries’ efforts were arguably the strongest of the Padres playing for the Javelinas, and they look to be showing that high upside which justifies the Padres organization’s faith in the duo.

The Javelinas return to action on Saturday against the Mesa Solar Sox in Peoria.

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.