San Diego Padres Minor-League Hitters of the Month: May 2026

[Steve Drumwright]

There was no shortage of offensive stars in the San Diego Padres' system in the month of May, with big-time production coming from recent draft picks and players with MLB experience just hoping to get another shot.

Ranking Padres' Best Minor-League Hitters In May

Honorable Mention: Ryan Wideman, CF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

May stats: .324/.348/.486, 26 games, 17 R, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 21 K, 19 SB, 4 CS

The dynamic center fielder, who leads the minors with his 36 stolen bases, had hits in 20 of 26 games in May, finishing with a seven-game hitting streak that included three three-hit games. His power was down as he only went deep once in May after hitting three in April, but he did have nine of his 16 doubles and three of five triples in the month.

Honorable Mention: Nick Solak, 1B-OF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas

May stats: .352/.412/.604, 23 games, 25 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 7 BB, 11 K, 3 SB, 1 CS

Solak had a nice little stretch where he homered in four out five games and added his sixth homer of the month (and seventh of the season) on Sunday, his third of the series against Albuquerque. The first half of the month saw Solak extend an on-base streak to 24 games during which he hit ,398 with a .477 on-base percentage. He had seven extra-base hits and 16 RBIs during that run.

No. 3: Ethan Salas, C, Double-A San Antonio Missions

May stats: .313/.349/.500, 25 games, 19 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 8 BB, 13 K, 5 SB, 2 CS

Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect started May with a bang, homering in back-to-back games after having a three-game homer streak in late April, giving him five in seven games. While he only had two more homers the rest of May, he did have a .313 average, which boosted his season number to .311. That ranks fifth in the Texas League.

There are some numbers to take note in Salas' performance thus far. For the season, he has an 8.2% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate. That walk rate is almost right on the MLB average (8.4%), while the strikeout rate is a good bit lower (22.3%). Salas also had a .319 BABIP and a .193 ISO, which has helped him produce a 131 WRC+.

Fans love to get jumpy and want prospects to move up at the slightest sign of success, but more time at Double-A is probably best for Salas' short-term development. The hitter-friendly conditions of the Pacific Coast League can inflate stats and perhaps develop bad habits for a young player who has franchise player potential about him.

No. 2: Pablo Reyes, IF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas

May stats: .365/.449/.649, 19 games, 14 R, 9 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 12 BB, 8 K, 5 SB, 1 CS

The MLB veteran has been a steady offensive force for the Chihuahuas. He reached base in the first 30 games he played this season, a streak that ran through May 14. He had a .441 on-base percentage during that run. Naturally, his May production was extremely strong. He had 10 multi-hit games, including three three-hit performances. All four of his homers in May came in his first four games, including a two-homer game May 6 that gave him a combined 101 homers between the minors (93) and the majors.

Reyes missed a few games after going on the temporary inactive list, but picked up right where he left off with a 2-for-5 game to begin an 8-for-18 stretch. He has played all over this season, with 12 starts at third, eight at second, five at first and four at first, along with 10 at designated hitter.

Even with that production, Reyes is simply a safety net in case of big injuries on the Padres' MLB roster. The 32-year-old has an MLB career slash line of .245/.305/.342.

No. 1: Kerrington Cross, 3B-1B, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

May stats: .368/.510/.684, 25 games, 19 R, 7 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 20 BB, 18 K, 6 SB, 1 CS

One of a handful of very interesting bats playing for the Storm, the seventh-round draft choice a year ago out of Cincinnati put together a May that featured a 1.194 OPS. In two months filled with highlights, Cross provided yet another one Thursday when, after the Storm scored three in the eighth to take a 4-3 lead and Inland Empire tied it in the top of the ninth, Cross yanked a 2-0 pitch down the left-field line for a walk-off homer. It was the second walk-off win for the Storm in the series and third of the season.

For Cross, it was his fourth homer of May and he added No. 5 on Sunday. Of his 28 hits in the month, 13 were for extra bases, also notching seven doubles and a triple. His .368 average for the month raised his season average from .184 at the end of April to .307 at the end of May.

Cross plays both corner infield spots, seeing more action at first base (17 starts) than third base (14) this year. He made his pro debut last year with 14 games at Lake Elsinore, but his .190/.433/.214 slash line did not portend what was to come so far in 2026, especially not to the extent he did in May. Cross is helped by his ability to draw walks and not strike out a ton. In fact, his walk and strikeouts rate as a pro are very similar; in that brief time last year, Cross had a 23% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate. This year, those are at 20.7% (walk) and 21.3% (strikeout).

His April struggles would seem to indicate that he still needs to figure some things out offensively, but he made the adjustments in May. If those numbers continue in June, he could find his way to Fort Wayne at some point.

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