The San Diego Padres have a brilliant opportunity to add to their farm system in this upcoming MLB first-year player draft.

With the draft’s sheer unpredictability, here is a projection of some players the Padres could consider taking in the 2025 Draft, focusing on the first five rounds. A full 20-round draft projection will be released closer to the draft. 

R1. 25th Overall: Sean Gamble – IF/OF, IMG Academy

The San Diego Padres have taken a high-school position player or pitcher in the first round every year since 2018, and the trend could continue this season. In this scenario, the Padres select Sean Gamble, an outfielder from IMG Academy, with the 25th overall pick. 

Gamble is one of the highest-rated high school outfield prospects in this draft, coming at No. 23 overall on MLB Pipeline’s top draft prospect list. The 6-foot-1 Gamble has a smooth and repeatable left-handed swing, with above-average bat control for his age. He has shown above-average speed on the bases and defensively, while being consistently able to find the barrel at the plate.

At the plate, the left-handed hitter shows an ability to command the zone that is advanced for a player of his age, and can spray the ball to all fields. Despite his size before the draft being what it is, he has the projectability to grow, and as he does, the extra-base hit power will only rise. Gamble’s smooth left-handed swing is also one that projects well for gap-to-gap extra base hit production as he goes through the minor leagues, which aligns with the Padres’ “Petco Park hitting” organizational philosophy. 

‘25 Sean Gamble (@IMGABaseball) found liftoff today, destroying this no doubt ?. Explosive in all facets; knew he got this as soon as it left the bat. Slow-mo included at the end. @PG_Draft https://t.co/XXYVgre93c pic.twitter.com/hYGE4RmoIy

— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) March 27, 2025

Defensively, Gamble’s speed makes him a valuable asset who has taken most of his reps in center field, with additional time spent in the middle infield. His athleticism and arm strength enable him to project well as a full-time center fielder. Gamble also has the ability to play up the middle in the infield, having seen time at both second base and shortstop.

Based on his size and bat-to-ball skills, Gamble is a similar prospect at face value to Jackson Merrill coming out of the draft, despite being rated higher than Merrill was in his draft class (Merrill ranked at No. 79 on Pipeline’s Top Draft Prospects). Despite this, Sean Gamble is the kind of overall athlete that A.J. Preller is always on the lookout for, making this pick a logical fit. 

R2. No Pick – The Padres forfeited their second-round pick due to the signing of RHP Nick Pivetta. 

R3. 99th Overall: Jack Lafflam, RHP, Brophy Prep (AZ)

Sticking with high school talent, the Padres have shown a propensity to double-dip into the high school ranks when in the early stages of the draft, and in this scenario, the team does exactly that, selecting right-hander Jack Lafflam out of Brophy Prep School in Arizona. The right-hander stands at 6-foot-6 and has shown four average to above-average pitches in the showcase circuit. The right-hander has been compared to former MLB pitcher Jack McDowell by scouts due to his narrow frame and impressive stature, and the mechanics are not too different at a glance.

With Lafflam, the Padres would be drafting a pitcher with a rounded arsenal, even if some of his pitches need more work than others. His fastball has averaged between 90 and 92 mph in exhibitions and showcases, with the ability to reach up to 94-95 mph in spurts. While the velocity at first glance leaves something to be desired, the right-hander is able to generate impressive extension thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame, allowing his fastball to appear more explosive out of the hand. He also complements the heater with a pair of breaking balls, featuring a slider and curveball that both clock in the upper 70s in velocity.

Lafflam’s slider has been the more consistent of the two, with the curveball showing some traits that suggest the offering is a work-in-progress sweeper. The slider has been clocked at 83-84 mph in showcases, with RPMs in the 2400-2500 range, and appears to be an offering that tunnels well off the heater. His fourth offering is a changeup in the 78-82 mph range, which blends well with his other offerings and provides a different enough look out of the hand.

Jack Lafflam (‘25, AZ) struck out eight in 3.2 innings yesterday. Spotty command but his pure stuff got him out of tough jams. FB worked 95-96 T97(3) early, settled more 91-94 later. SL worked in the low 80s (~2600) and mixed in the CB as well in the upper 70s (~2500). Threw one… pic.twitter.com/BMYkWOjYKc

— Perfect Game Four Corners (@PG_FourCorners) March 7, 2025

Lafflam has an across-his-body or crossfire type of delivery not too unlike that of former Padre Garrett Richards, albeit higher due to his stature, and his pitch mix is one that works with the right-hander’s supination. While MLB Pipeline has him at No. 117 overall, it is likely the Padres will again take someone above their projected spot for signing reasons. However, even without the financials in mind, Lafflam is the kind of arm the Padres have shown an ability to develop in their system. 

R4. 130th Overall: Murf Gray, IF, Fresno State

Position player talent is an area the Padres will look to address in the draft. Fresno State’s Murf Gray is an intriguing prospect with upside. Gray was the Bulldogs’ starting third baseman for the last three seasons, and showed continuous production in his three seasons, improving every year. Gray posted a .324/.398/.639 slash line in 241 at-bats this season. Gray slugged 18 homers and drove in 73 runs for the Bulldogs as the team won the 2025 NCAA Mountain West championship.

Gray has plenty of power at the plate, with his big 6-foot-4 frame and strong right-handed swing allowing him to generate ample power. He has a combination of elite bat speed and above-average power to all fields, not just to the pull side like a prototypical slugger. He is yet another player with impressive bat-to-ball skills, as evidenced by his 95% in-zone contact rate this past season; against fastballs, the rate was even more impressive, coming in at 97%. Gray has the upside to be a solid middle-of-the-order bat, and his humility and dedication to his craft have led him this far. 

A MOMENT FOR ???? ?@MurfGray pic.twitter.com/VQrRjye0QX

— Diamond ‘Dogs (@FresnoStateBSB) June 1, 2024

Now, Gray’s spot in the draft has been a matter of debate, with his positional fit at third base full-time leading some to speculate he’s more of a first base/corner outfield. To know more on Gray, I reached out to fellow EVT writer and Fresno State Magazine sportswriter Al Scott, who covered the Bulldogs’ run to the NCAA tournament. Here is Mr. Scott’s brief on Gray:

“Murf has really good plate discipline and loud pop off the bat. His .918 OPS over three years at Fresno State highlights him as a complete hitter. Defensively, he’s got a strong enough arm to stay at 3B but may eventually move to 1B or LF.”

R5. 160th Overall: Jacob Morrison, RHP, Coastal Carolina

San Diego’s drafting on Day 2 tends to skew towards college players, and in this scenario, that would likely remain the case. Coastal Carolina’s Jacob Morrison missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, but his 2025 return to the mound was nothing short of a success. In 19 games (18 starts), Morrison threw 107.2 innings of work, striking out 104 and walking only 23. Morrison’s velocity looked as good as it did pre-surgery, and his resurgence with the Chanticleers earned him College Baseball Foundation All-American honors. 

The accolades speak for themselves, but what exactly does Morrison bring to the table? For starters, Morrison is 6-foot-8, so his release point is one of the highest in college baseball. Morrison’s height and extension allow his 91-94 mph fastball to get elite carry in the zone, as well as impressive late movement to the arm side. The pitch is one that Morrison has shown strong command of, and he can generate whiffs at the top of the zone with it as well.

His main secondary is a sharp slider in the mid-to-upper 80s with sharp late movement and some bite to it. The slider and the rest of his arsenal tunnel incredibly well off the fastball, thanks in part to his high release point. His other secondaries include a fall-off-the-table curveball in the upper 70s, sitting 77-80 mph with sharp downward movement. His changeup remains a work in progress, sitting in the 83-86 mph range, but it looks the same as the fastball coming out of the hand, leading to soft contact when used in the right counts. For a pitcher of his stature, Morrison has shown an ability to consistently throw strikes and keep his mechanics in sync, which projects well for his future as a possible mid-to-back-end starting pitcher.

Just doing his thing#MCWS x ? ESPN / @CoastalBaseball pic.twitter.com/qIHKbRQlZv

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2025

While he is not as highly touted as his Coastal Carolina batterymate Caden Bodine, Morrison could be one of the more under-the-radar draftees this season, and the Padres as a fit for the right-hander is a logical one.

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.