San Diego Padres Top-100 Prospects

50- Rod Boykin  Age-22.5  112 games/377 at bats (.279/.350/.467)  .817 OPS  (39 BB/139 K)

This young man took off once he hit the California League. He put up a .314/.376/.529 slash line in 43 games in Lake Elsinore. That resulted in a .905 OPS as Boykin really started to drive the ball with authority. He is an outfielder, with the ability to play all the spots. He lacks the overall arm strength for center, but has the speed to cover the ground. Boykin is still only 22 so he has time to grow as a player. Look for the right-handed batter to start in Lake Elsinore, or perhaps the team challenges him and throws him into the Texas League.

49- Jose Rondon  Age- 23.2  78 games/317 at bats  (.293/.397/.442)  .780 OPS (26 BB/62 K) (Was DFA’d by the team on 01-07-18 to clear room on 40-man roster)

This shortstop has been in the system for a while, since he was acquired in July of 2014 from the Angels for Huston Street. The Padres are desperate for a shortstop, and have been, but yet Rondon is never talked about as a potential long-term answer. That is mostly because he has been average in every way in his first six years of professional baseball. He has little power, but does generally make contact. In 2016, he played eight games for the Padres, but at this point looks to be nothing more than organizational depth.

48- Marcus Greene Jr.  Age- 23.2  84 games/285 at bats (.270/.366/.460)  .826 OPS (40 BB/59 K)

Acquired from the Texas Rangers for Will Venable, this backstop has really taken off recently. He has a very productive bat, but there are some concerns about his ability to play the catcher position moving forward. Greene has decent skills receiving the ball and threw out 32% of would-be base stealers this season for the TinCaps, so I’m not sure where the concerns are. He is 23 and still hasn’t made it past Single-A, so there are some reasons to be cautious with your overall expectations.

47- Trey Wingenter  Age- 23.2  (2-1) 2.45 ERA/1.09 WHIP  47.2 IP/19 BB/64 K

The 23-year-old Wingenter recorded 20 out of 26 saves chances for the Missions in 2017. At 6′ 7″ and 200 lbs plus, he is an imposing force on the mound. Wingenter throws in the upper 90’s and could have an outside chance at a bullpen spot for the Padres in 2018. He hasn’t thrown in Triple-A yet, but has shown some great potential since he was drafted out of Auburn in the 17th round of the 2015 draft. Wingenter is a potential closer of the future if he continues to progress.

46- Ruddy Giron  Age- 20.8  117 games/450 at bats  (.233/.290/.347) .636 OPS (33 BB/119 K)

The infielder can play all over the place, but his bat has regressed a bit. At 20, it is way too early to throw in the towel on Giron, but he does need to make some changes. He is able to drive the ball, but has only hit 19 homers in almost 1,500 minor league at bats. The right-handed hitter has quick actions and hands, but is susceptible to quality breaking pitches. If he can lay off the off-speed and get his pitches to hit, his bat might come back on track and he could re-emerge as a top-30 prospect contender.

45- Justin Lopez  Age- 17.5  66 games/281 at bats (.246/.291/.324) .615 OPS  (17 BB/80 K)

This 17-year-old from Venezuela has a decent upside to his game. The switch hitter can pay second base or shortstop and has shown a decent bat at an early age. He did strike out a lot in Tri-City, but was 17 and playing against pitchers much older than him. The Padres are loaded with international middle infielders, and Lopez is right there at the top of the heap.

44- Henry Henry  Age- 18.9  (3-5) 3.28 ERA/1.21 WHIP   57 IP/14 BB/49 K

The sink that this young man gets on his pitches is impressive. He has a solid arm and is only starting to come into his own on the mound. Henry could be a fast riser on this list if he is able to repeat his delivery and harness his motion with his slider. His low to mid 90’s fastball is a weapon as he spots his two-seamer to both sides of the plate. The slider is a solid pitch now, however Henry needs to perfect his change to neutralize lefties. He is not a strikeout pitcher presently as he gets quick outs. He could develop into a power pitcher in time as he fills out his frame.

43- Javier Guerra  Age-22.1  89 games/349 at bats (.226/.267/.358) .625 OPS  (19 BB/113 K)

What to do with this young man? He came to the Padres from the Red Sox and was considered a prized prospect after hitting 15 homers in 116 at bats for the Red Sox A-Ball team. Since coming to the Padres, he has done nothing but disappoint, hitting around .220 with a .260 OBP in 233 games for the Padres. The left-handed batter has also regressed defensively, where he was supposed to be above average. The defense still comes in flashes, but the bat has much work to do if he is ever going to make it to the major leagues.

42- Buddy Reed  Age- 22.5  88 games/316 at bats (.234/.290/.396) .685 OPS (23 BB/97 K)

A defensive-minded center fielder, Reed is still learning the game. He picked up the game late in life and sometimes his inexperience is evident. You cannot argue about his skill set, as the athletic outfielder can track balls to either side with ease. He has a plus arm and fantastic speed, but has problems hitting. It does not help that he is a switch-hitter, and that in itself can be maddening. His numbers are pretty even from both sides of the plate, though he does strike out at an alarming rate batting right-handed (75 in 2018 at bats). Reed will need to make more contact and also learn to utilize his speed on the base paths. He has better speed than his 27 stolen bases in 139 career games indicates.

41- Luis Asuncion  Age-20.2  66 games/255 at bats (.267/.319/.392) .711 OPS (17 BB/63 K)

The big Dominican outfielder has repeated Tri-City for two years in a row and looks to make his full-season debut this spring. Defensively, he is a solid contributor with a plus arm. He has an excellent bat, but has some plate discipline issues that need to be figured out. He cannot advance further until he successfully adjusts to breaking pitches. At 6′ 4″ and 210 lbs, he has very good size for a 20-year-old. The right-handed hitter could start 2018 in Fort Wayne.

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James Clark

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.