Padres Prospect Hot Sheet: Stolen Base Leader Ryan Wideman Flashes Power Potential

Let's check in on the San Diego Padres prospects who made a mark in the last week (check out Padres Mission's latest Top 20 rankings as well!):

Ryan Wideman, CF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

Season stats: .327/.394/.527, 60 games, 48 R, 19 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 20 BB, 51 K, 42 SB, 12 CS

The toolsy center fielder, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, is coming off his biggest moment of the season, crushing a walk-off homer off the scoreboard in right-center field on the first pitch of the ninth inning to give the Storm an 8-7 triumph over the Ontario Tower Buzzers, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. The homer, part of a four-hit game, was his sixth of the season and put the Storm on the verge of the first-half championship in the California League's South Division.

Last year's third-round draft choice played in five of six games last week and went 10-for-22 with five walks, seven runs scored and five RBIs for a .455/.538/.636 slash line. He swiped five more stolen bases to boost his season total to 42, which leads all of the minors (majors, too), in 60 games. He has been caught 12 times. The power-speed combo was evident as he made his pro debut last year in 26 games with the Storm, but he had a .229/.330/.271 slash line.

The biggest improvement for Wideman has been the reduction in strikeouts. He went down 28.6% of the time in his brief introduction to pro ball and has reduced that to an 18.5% punch-out rate this year. Wideman's walk rate, however, is also down a bit, from 10.7% to 7.3%.

Carlos Rodriguez, OF, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas

Season stats: .297/.363/.373, 53 games, 28 runs, 9 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 24 BB, 26 K, 6 SB, 0 CS

While still just 25, the outfielder doesn't feel like a prospect anymore due to the fact the Padres are the third organization he has been with since making his pro debut in 2018. He stayed with the Milwaukee Brewers chain through 2024, then played last season in the Atlanta system. He has played in 159 games at Triple-A in the last two seasons, though his current heater could change the equation.

The 5-foot-9 left-handed hitter had two hits Sunday, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games and his on-base streak to 24 games. It is the longest active streak in the Pacific Coast League. Last week alone, Rodriguez went 10-for-26, all but one a single (the other was a double) with one RBI. He walked three times, but impressively struck out just once. He needed a ninth-inning infield single to third base Saturday to keep the streak alive. The last time he didn't get a hit was when he took an 0-for-3 line on May 20 vs. Round Rock. He had a hit in the three games before that, too.

His strikeout rate is at 11% this year, the second-best mark of his career after a 10.4% mark in 2024.

Jesus Castro, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

Season stats: 0-1, 2.72 ERA, 10 games (all starts), 43 IP, 42 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 16 BB, 53 K, .258 opponent average

Okay, so the right-handed starter was on our Hot Sheet last week. I try not to repeat from one week to the next, but Castro put up an even better performance than his previous outing. The recently turned 19-year-old struck out a career-high 12 in 4⅔ shutout innings in a 6-1 win Wednesday over Ontario. He gave up three hits and two walks, the same totals as the week before.

Castro has not allowed a run in four of his last five starts and is one reason why the Storm have the best ERA in the Cal League at 4.78 (yeah, I know that's high, but it is the Cal League). The Storm have a nice rotation led by right-hander Winyer Chourio, who is second in the league with 69 strikeouts.

Castro's 12 punchouts last week gave him 44 in his last 29 innings. He has 53 for the season in 43 innings. His strikeout rate is just a tick above last season, when he made his pro debut (28.6% from 27.1%), while his walk rate has increased a bit from 5.9% in 2025 to 8.6% this year.

Tyler Schmitt, RHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

Season stats: 4-3, 4.38 ERA, 11 games (10 starts), 49⅓ IP, 44 H, 24 R, 24 ER, 27 BB, 57 K, .243 opponent average

This list could have very well included three Storm starting pitchers, but last year's 17th-round draft choice was the choice over Chourio (who struck out nine in his own right) because Schmitt punched out a season-high 11 two starts after fanning nine. The 21-year-old allowed four hits and just one walk over a season-best six innings, the third time he has gone that distance in his debut season.

Schmitt now has four starts (out of 10) in which he hasn't allowed a run. His two big strikeout games in his last three starts have increased his strikeout rate to 26.9%. Schmitt still has issues with walks as he has at least one in all 11 appearances this season, but he has just 13 in his last seven starts, including two three-walk outings. He also does a pretty good job of limiting contact. Outside of his three blowup starts, he has allowed three or less hits in six of his other eight outings and gave up four hits in those remaining two.

That work has helped plunge an ERA that was at 9.75 at the end of April to 4.38 now.

Luke Cantwell, 1B, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm

Season stats: .349/.504/.509, 35 games, 25 R, 12 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 24 BB, 24 K, 6 SB, 2 CS

Yes, another Storm player. A 20th-round draft choice last year out of Pitt, the first baseman began his pro career at High-A Fort Wayne, appearing in five games and going 5-for-20 with a homer. Instead of going back to the TinCaps, the Padres sent Cantwell down to Lake Elsinore, where he has been on fire when he has been in the lineup. Cantwell was on the injured list for about three weeks, returning a couple Sundays ago.

In his first full week back, he picked up from where he left off by going 9-for-21 with four doubles and his first triple of the season along with eight RBIs. He also walked eight times, including in five straight games, giving him a slash line of .429/.600/.714 for the week. That time off cost Cantwell his spot on the Cal League leaderboard, where his team-leading .349 average would rank second. Wideman's .327 is fifth.

Cantwell had a pair of two-hit games and another where he had a double and three walks. His triple was well-timed. as he did it leading off the ninth inning Tuesday as the Storm trailed by two. He scored, but the Storm fell 5-4. Still, he has an RBI in six of the seven games since he returned to the lineup.

Interested in learning more about the San Diego Padres' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!