San Diego Padres Minor-League Pitchers of the Month: July 2026

[Steve Drumwright]

There is no doubt the San Diego Padres have some potential in their minor-league arms. But due to the trades that have sapped prospects over the last few seasons, as well as just this past week, the Padres need to do more work than other franchises to mine that talent and develop those hidden gems into prospective major-league pitchers. That is certainly the case with our batch of July honorees, which range from top-of-the-chain names to a few diamonds in the rough.

Ranking Padres' Best Minor-League Pitchers In July

Honorable Mention: Adler Cecil, LHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

July stats: 0-1, 2.70 ERA, 5 games (4 starts), 20 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 11 BB, 32 K, .189 opponent average

OK, so we are cheating a little bit here because the 21-year-old left-handed starter made all but one appearance in the Arizona Complex League. The 6-foot-4, 160-pounder is a fun story as he attended Temecula Valley High School, just a quick drive down I-15 from Lake Elsinore. Adler did make his final start of July on the road for the Storm against the Stockton Ports. Adler went 4⅓ shutout innings, yielding just a hit while walking three and striking out five.

Cecil has been brought along slowly this year following Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2025. When he made his debut in 2024 after being a 19th-round draft choice the year before, he never went more than two innings in 18 games, getting knocked around a bit to a 7.54 ERA. He has come back to flash some of that potential that got him a $175,000 bonus to skip junior college. He struck out 70 in 41⅓ innings in the Arizona Complex League, where he had a 4.79 ERA in 13 games (nine starts). He had a pair of 10-strikeout games in the ACL, one in five innings, the other in four. One of those games was in July, when he led the Padres' system with 32 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

July stats: 1-1, 3.47 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 23⅓ IP, 22 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 19 BB, 21 K, .262 opponent average

The 2025 first-round draft choice had a nice July, showing more of the potential the Padres saw in the 19-year-old while also still flashing some of the bumps that need to be smoothed out. After getting rocked for six runs in his first July start, the left-hander put together the best four-start stretch of his very young career, not allowing more than a run in any of those outings, including five shutout innings July 17 vs. the Ontario Tower Buzzers in which he walked three and struck out six and gave up three hits.

Perhaps something clicked or a mechanical flaw was refined, but that is definitely something to build upon as the Storm enter the final full month of the regular season (Schoolcraft will get at least one bonus start with Lake Elsinore already clinching a postseason berth via the first-half South Division title in the California League). Walks remain a bugaboo, however. In his final start of last month, he issued six free passes while only allowing four hits and a run in four innings with four punchouts.

No. 3: Jesus Castro, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

July stats: 1-1, 2.65 ERA, 4 games (all starts), 17 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 16 K, .172 opponent average

One blip on the radar foiled what otherwise was a tremendous July for the 19-year-old right-handed starter. That glitch was five runs in five innings on July 7 vs. the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Other than that? Padres Mission's No. 16 prospect dominated, going 12 innings in three starts, allowing zero runs, two hits and five walks with 13 strikeouts. All five walks came in a single start, July 21 vs. the Visalia Rawhide. He had a 2.65 ERA, an amazing 0.882 WHIP last month and a 65% swinging-strike rate.

But he saved his best start of the month for his final outing. It was one of the best put forth by any Padres minor-leaguer this year. On Tuesday against the Stockton Ports, Castro went a career-high seven innings, only giving up one hit and no runs with no walks and seven strikeouts. This was the fourth start that Castro struck out at least seven this year, topping out with a career-high 12 on June 10. It was also the seventh time Castro did not allow a run in his 17 starts, which has put his season ERA at 3.31. Castro isn't on the California League leaderboard because he doesn't have enough innings, but he does have those 17 starts, which only two of the four qualifiers do have. His ERA would be ahead of the league leader's 3.71.

No. 2: Bryan Balzer, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps

July stats: 1-0, 1.08 ERA, 4 games (3 starts), 16⅔ IP, 11 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 19 K, .180 opponent average

All prospects don't progress at the same rate, which is one of the keys in how clubs handle their young players. For the 21-year-old right-handed starter, he spent 1½ seasons at Low-A Lake Elsinore before finally earning a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne at the end of June. The jump in level has brought on the best month of Balzer's young career, which started with the Japanese pitcher signing in January 2023 and not pitching until 2024 due to Tommy John surgery.

After a bumpy TinCaps debut on June 27, Balzer has put up a 1.08 ERA in four July starts, pitching 16⅔ innings, allowing four runs (two earned) with five walks and 19 strikeouts. That 1.08 ERA was tops in the Padres' system for July. While he had an eight-strikeout game over five innings on July 11, he didn't allow a run in his last two starts of the month, going three innings in an abbreviated appearance July 18 as teams returned from the All-Star break, then five innings July 25. In each, he allowed one hit, combining for three walks and five strikeouts. Those strikeout numbers (22.8% for the season) will probably pop a little more the rest of the season as his confidence grows, as will the walk rate (9.1%) improve.

No. 1: Josh Mallitz, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions

July stats: 1-0, 3.07 ERA, 8 games (all relief), 1 save (2 chances), 14⅔ IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 14 K, .160 opponent average

OK, sure, the right-handed reliever gave up five earned runs in eighth appearances in July. Not that spectacular. But those five earned runs came in back-to-back games. In the other six? Zero runs in five and one unearned run in the other. As someone who typically goes two or even three innings, that is pretty remarkable. Mallitz has been found money for the Padres. He was an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi who signed in 2024. The 24-year-old has spent the entire season with the Missions after hitting three levels in 2025 (Arizona Complex League, High-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio).

His walk rate is up this year at a still-solid 9.5% after being at 5.9% last year, while his strikeout rate is a bit better at 26.6% (25.7% in 2025). He had a .160 opponent average in July and .199 for the season, so he excels at limiting contact.

Mallitz has certainly raised his profile since joining the Padres. He pitched for Israel in the World Baseball Classic, appearing in two games, not allowing a hit with a walk and a strikeout. There's real talent in this arm and a potential future Friar.

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