San Diego Padres Minor-League Hitters of the Year: 2026

[Steve Drumwright]

There are so many different factors when deciding who to pick as an organization’s hitter of the year. Sure, you can choose based on who had the best batting average, but that is only one piece of the equation. To me, it came down to expectations and performance, as well as the level the players were at.

A variety of hitters, from MLB journeymen to top prospects, starred in the San Diego Padres organization this season. Only a few spots were available for the best players on this list, so keep in mind all of the criteria from above.

2026 Padres Mission Minor-League Hitters of the Year

We'll kick things off with a number of honorable mentions, many of whom greatly improved their standing within the organization in 2026.

Nick Solak, 1B-OF, Triple-A El Paso

Season stats: .311/.376/.487, 116 games, 89 R, 28 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 39 BB, 63 K, 7 SB, 2 CS

Carlos Rodriguez, OF, Triple-A El Paso

Season stats: .308/.375/.416, 124 games, 62 R, 18 2B, 8 3B, 6 HR, 77 RBI, 55 BB, 61 K, 23 SB, 6 CS

Ryan Wideman, CF, Low-A Lake Elsinore, High-A Fort Wayne

Season stats: .286/.350/.406, 109 games, 73 R, 24 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 34 BB, 103 K, 65 SB, 22 CS

Qrey Lott, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore

Season stats: .282/.393/.452, 95 games, 60 R, 14 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 29 BB, 84 K, 27 SB, 5 CS

Dawson Willis, CIF-CF, Arizona Complex League, Low-A Lake Elsinore

Season stats: .270/.367/.506, 65 games, 46 R, 16 2B, 5 3B, 10 HR, 39 RBI, 26 SB, 4 CS

5. Jake Cunningham, OF, High-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio

Season stats: .283/.369/.516, 96 games, 60 R, 18 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 44 BB, 120 K, 10 SB, 6 CS

A fifth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2023, Cunningham was released last year after playing in just 76 games due to injury. The 24-year-old found a home with the Padres and showed he was a power threat to be taken seriously; he had three multi-homer games, including blasting three for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps on June 5. Cunningham finished tied for the Padres’ system lead in homers with 19 and produced an .885 OPS.

After a good showing with Fort Wayne, Cunningham was bumped up to Double-A San Antonio on June 23 and raised his game, slashing .301/.370/.459 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 39 contests. While drawing more than his share of walks (11.3% rate), he also strikes out quite often (30.8%). After being a minor-league free agent following his release last year, Cunningham will be on the market again this offseason. If he returns to the Padres, he likely begins 2027 with the Missions. Notably, he is also eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, but it'd be a shock to see him put on the Padres’ 40-man roster or selected to another MLB roster.

4. Luke Cantwell, 1B, Low-A Lake Elsinore, High-A Fort Wayne

Season stats: .289/.429/.443, 81 games, 51 R, 51 R, 19 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 52 BB, 73 K, 6 SB, 4 CS

Selected in the 20th round of the 2025 draft out of Pitt, the 23-year-old showed a nice ability with the bat during his first full pro season. The left-handed hitter was really good to begin the season with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm, posting a .328/.475/.496 with just two homers and 30 RBIs in 40 games. One of those homers was an inside-the-parker, which he also did following a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne. With the TinCaps, he struggled at the plate with a .250/.386/.391 slash line, but he did hit four homers.

As a first baseman, Cantwell doesn’t provide the typical power from the position, but if he can show consistency at the plate in 2027, that would bode well for his future. Cantwell also has a good eye, drawing 51 walks and leading the Padres’ system in on-base percentage for anyone with at least 300 plate appearances (.429). Following his second-half slump, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him return to Fort Wayne to begin 2027, but the Padres could also push him up to Double-A San Antonio.

3. Alex McCoy, LF, High-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio

Season stats: .278/.355/.467, 123 games, 74 R, 31 2B, 1 3B, 19 HR, 71 RBI, 50 BB, 142 K

An undrafted free agent signed out of Hofstra in 2025, the 24-year-old saw his profile skyrocket this year due to producing some of the highest exit velocities in all of baseball. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder showed an all-around hitting ability, tying for the homer lead in the Padres’ system while finishing second with 31 doubles. He hit 27 of those doubles for High-A Fort Wayne, a total that led the Midwest League, before an Aug. 14 promotion to the Double-A San Antonio Missions. Those are many of the reasons McCoy went from not being on Padres Mission’s Top 20 prospects list to finishing the season at No. 8.

McCoy put up a .314/.360/.467 slash line in 25 games with the Missions, showing a nice ability to adjust to a tougher level of pitching. With this being his first full pro season, he did have a bad habit of striking out. He finished second in the Padres’ system with 142 K’s, which yielded a 26.2% strikeout rate, though he also drew 50 walks for a 9.2% rate (a solid mark). The big man can also steal a few bags, swiping 24 in 33 tries. McCoy will play in the Arizona Fall League, where he will continue to build on an impressive 2026. He figures to start 2027 where he finished this year, at Double-A San Antonio.

2. Kerrington Cross, 3B-1B, Low-A Lake Elsinore, High-A Fort Wayne, Double-A San Antonio

Season stats: .277/.414/.500, 115 games, 78 R, 26 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 64 RBI, 80 BB, 111 K, 21 SB, 7 CS

Another position player in his first full pro season, the 2025 seventh-round draft choice out of Cincinnati has a terrific eye at the plate as evidenced by his 80 walks, which led the Padres’ system, in 115 games. How does that compare to the big boys? Xander Bogaerts leads the Friars with 77 walks in 152 games. Cross also put together a .914 OPS, which also led the system (200 minimum plate appearances). His 18 homers were third in the Padres’ system. Cross also had a stellar start to the season at Low-A Lake Elsinore, posting a slash line of .313/.467/.608 (1.075 OPS), with 11 homers, 43 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 58 games.

He earned a midseason promotion to High-A Fort Wayne, where the sledding was a bit tougher: he slashed just .239/.365/.392 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 52 games. He did get a final-week call-up to Double-A San Antonio, where he went 6-for-20 (.300/.364/.500) with a homer and three RBIs. He will need to sharpen up his defense to remain at third, with a move to first possible. The Padres could push Cross to start the season at Double-A San Antonio, unless they want to see him have success at High-A Fort Wayne before advancing him.

1. Ethan Salas, C, Double-A San Antonio, Triple-A El Paso

Season stats: .296/.374/.448, 96 games, 54 R, 19 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 47 BB, 58 K, 17 SB, 8 CS

The 20-year-old wunderkind put everything together this season and took himself all the way to the MLB roster. Following a 2025 season in which he missed all but 10 games due to a stress reaction in his low back, Salas was the best hitter the Padres had in their system in 2026. Sure, there were others who had higher homer totals, better OPS figures, or more RBIs, but the young catcher realized a lot of the potential the Friars envisioned when they signed him to a then-record bonus of $5.6 million in 2023. He has played most of his four years in the Padres' system as the team's No. 1 prospect, as he has been at Padres Mission.

Salas, who had slipped in all of the national Top 100 rankings due to missing all that time last year and a poor offensive season in 2024, started his season at Double-A San Antonio as a 19-year-old, where he was playing against guys an average of four years older than he was. All he did in 72 games was put up a slash line of .286/.361/.417 with seven homers and 37 RBIs, as well as 14 steals in 20 chances. After turning 20, he played in his second Futures Game. Just a couple weeks after that, Salas was promoted to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, where he was even better against players roughly eight years his elder. There, he slashed .326/.410/.539 with three homers and 24 RBIs in 24 games, walking more times than he struck out (14-10).

That was enough for the Padres to bring him up for his MLB debut when rosters expanded Sept. 1. While at times seeming like the organization might be pushing the young backstop too hard, promoting him up to Double-A as a 17-year-old in his debut season and then watching him struggle at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024 (.206/.288/.311 in 111 games), the work Salas did while recovering from his back injury last year and in the offseason paid off handsomely. He should be a fixture in the big leagues moving forward and is in the mix to be the Opening Day catcher next year.

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