San Diego Padres Top-100 Prospects
Credit: EVT
The San Diego Padres’ farm system is arguably the healthiest it has ever been in the existence of the franchise.
The amount of depth in the minor league system is ridiculous.
There are literally multiple young prospects at each position on the diamond being cultivated. The majority of these prized players are teenagers, so there is some reason to be slightly concerned about their overall progression.
Prospects are not a given. The can very easily fizzle out. The Padres have adopted the philosophy that more is better.
Sure, some of the young players will never reach the major leagues, but by stockpiling so much talent, the team has swayed the odds in their favor. You have to believe that some of these young men will be very productive major leaguers when it is all said and done.
In comprising this list I factor in a few things. Being in Triple-A doesn’t automatically make you a better prospect than a 17-year-old in the DSL, but you do have to weigh in the fact that the elder prospect is closer to major league service time. He is playing against established minor league players and is not just a player performing in a league that is not a challenge for him.
Talent and ability are number one when making a top prospects list.
Of course there is much to debate when creating a list of this nature. Prospect’s values increase and decrease all the time, as their skill level can flourish or be tarnished at the drop of a hat. I will update this top 100 list every four months or so to keep you informed about some of the lesser-known talent within the Padre system.
The before list of players are worth noting as they just missed making the list.
Honorable Mentions:
This catcher/first baseman put up very respectable numbers at the AZL level in 2017. His .295/.368/.491 batting line is well worth noting. He also put up a .859 OPS as an 18-year-old in the desert. The Venezuelan native was solid defensively behind the dish as well, as he threw out 43% of would-be base stealers. He made 23 starts behind the dish for the Padres in the AZL this past season. The right-handed hitter has an advanced approach as well, as he struck out 14 times while walking nine times in 112 at bats.
Baker had a down year in Lake Elsinore in 2017, where he put up a .210/.270/.316 slash line. He battled some injuries and struggled drawing a walk. In 2016 the right-handed hitter was very productive, so the Padres will just hope he had a down year. The 23-year-old can play second base, third base, shortstop, and left field, and has decent speed. He could easily climb this list with a productive 2018.
This 21-year-old has been slowly progressing since being signed by the team in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He played the whole year in Lake Elsinore, where he put up a .238/.308/.426 batting line in 89 games. He is a corner infielder with developing pop. The right-handed hitter needs to refine his approach at the plate if he wishes to succeed.
26-year-old Diego Goris deserves some mention as he has played almost 10 years in the minor leagues. He began his tenure with the Padres in 2013, after some time in the Royals’ and Pirates’ organizations. Goris has over 3,100 minor league at bats, where he has put up a .286/.317/.422 batting line. He spent 2017 with the Padres’ Triple-A team in El Paso. He hit .285 with 11 homers and 56 RBI in 125 games. Goris will need help to get a shot with the Padres and really is no prospect, but he is worth a mention.
This 27 year old is not young, but has pitched well enough to take notice. With a career 3.06 ERA in over 300 relief innings, this right handed pitcher has gotten the job done. He recorded a 2.92 ERA in 64 innings in El Paso. He will probably get a look with the Padres at some point in the coming year. Cimber is not a strikeout pitcher, but does have the ability to pitch to contact successfully.
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James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
Enjoyed reading this list, James. Thanks.
One thing that impressed me about Hudson Potts’ time with the TinCaps this past season was his level-headed maturity and business-like approach to the game. For a player his age, his mental approach to the game seemed strong.
Thank you, Ken.
Agreed. Potts is very mature for his age.
I appreciate the consistent revamp of the top 100 list James.
The Padres finally have a young farm system to be excited about. I believe it speaks to Preller and his staffs ability to evaluate talent.
Blueberg does nothing but perform
3 all star appearances
1 mvp
Also # 1 college lowest era record for the university of Nevada
This kid needs to be rewarded???????
Another 100 deep list, incredible James! Could you imagine what this farm system would look like if Espinoza and Paddack had not gotten hurt and continued on their respective trajectories? Any word on Wen-Hua Sung, the Korean pitcher the Padres signed during the ’16 spending spree? Thank you for all the time and hard work you put into this list James, for us Padre fans waiting for 2020 and beyond, it is great to see these names who hopefully make the Padres contenders some day.
thank you