Padres Prospect Hot Sheet: Tirso Ornelas Getting Back In Rhythm At Double-A

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!):

Tirso Ornelas, OF, Double-A San Antonio Missions

Season stats: .262/.331/.468, 66 games, 32 R, 18 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 25 BB, 45 K, 1 SB, 1 CS

The power-hitting outfielder has had quite the odyssey in the last two seasons. After being put on the 40-man roster in July 2024, he made his MLB debut in April 2025, playing in seven games. This spring, when the Padres needed a 40-man roster spot, Ornelas was designated for assignment, went unclaimed and, after spending all of 2024 and 2025 at Triple-A El Paso, he was assigned to Double-A San Antonio for 2026.

After a slow April (.203/.278/.377), Ornelas has picked things up to raise his numbers to .262/.331/.468. That included a nice six games last week in which he slashed .346/.393/.731 (9-for-26) with three homers, four runs and five RBIs. San Antonio is a better place for prospects to develop than El Paso, so the Padres likely want to see more of Ornelas there before putting him back at Triple-A, where bad habits can pop back up. But he is also 26 and not forcing the issue, so his future remains murky at best.

Eric Yost, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions

Season stats: 3-2, 3.48, 13 games (8 starts), 1 save (1 chance) 51⅔ IP, 31 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 35 BB, 48 K, .177 opponent average

The Missions are one of the rare teams that give a Tuesday starter a Sunday start in the same week. Yost had that opportunity last week and produced decent results. The 2023 17th-round draft choice out of Northeastern went six innings, with one run, two hits, three walks and three strikeouts in his first start against Arkansas, then followed that up with five innings, three runs, four hits, five walks and three strikeouts. The biggest takeaway is that his control was a bit off Sunday, but how much is that due to the same hitters seeing him twice in six days?

Regardless, Yost has some qualities to like, including contact prevention. He has a really good .177 opponent batting average, but his walk rate is at 16%, his worst since turning pro. He is around the MLB average for strikeout rate at 21.9%, so limiting baserunners is key to his success. His walk rate in 2025 was 11% between High-A and Double-A, with that being at 15.5% in San Antonio. Yost also hit two batters in the second Arkansas start, giving him six plunked batters in the last four starts. He is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, so what he does in the second half will go a long way to helping the Padres make the decision on whether or not to protect him.

Jackson Wolf, LHP, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas

Season stats: 5-5, 5.65 ERA, 18 games (11 starts), 63⅔ IP, 71 H, 43 R, 40 ER, 28 R, 63 K, .284 opponent average

The left-handed starter had one of his best starts of the season last week. Facing the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the 2021 fourth-round draft choice out of West Virginia went five innings, punching out eight and walking four while allowing a run on three hits. It was just the third time he has had more than five strikeouts this year and one off his season high.

Wolf, who made his MLB debut with one game in 2023 and hasn't been back up since, was in contention for a bullpen spot in spring training and now could be in line to come up as the Padres search for rotation solutions. His numbers are very similar this year to what he produced in 22 starts at El Paso last year. Wolf has a 9.6% walk rate and 21.6% strikeout rate this year, while allowing a .284 opponent batting average, resulting in an unsightly 1.55 WHIP. However, some of that you have to credit to the hitter-friendly PCL conditions.

Braian Salazar, LHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps

Season stats: 3-3, 4.25 ERA, 25 games (all relief), 1 save (1 chance), 36 IP, 28 H, 17 R, 17 ER, 21 BB, 43 K, .217 opponent average

The 21-year-old left-hander made two relief appearances last week against Lake County and allowed just one hit with five strikeouts and one walk. That included four punchouts in two hitless innings of the series opener in which he faced just one over the minimum. He pitched the final two innings as the TinCaps search for a new closer following Clay Edmondson's promotion to Double-A last week.

Salazar has been really good over his last four appearances, giving up just one run in 7⅓ innings with five hits, a walk and eight strikeouts. He signed as an international free agent in January 2022 and has made the slow climb up the ladder to High-A Fort Wayne this year. But his numbers are also better this year, showing some significant process. He debuted in full-season ball in 2024 and posted ERAs of 6.08 in 2024 and 6.47 in 2025. Now, that number is almost two full runs less, in part to allowing fewer hits (he has a .217 opponent average this year, more than 20 points lower than each of the last two) and his walks are down a couple percentage points to 13.3%. A work in progress, but one to keep an eye on.

Kai Roberts, OF, Double-A San Antonio Missions

Season stats: .215/.328/.275, 60 games, 26 R, 6 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 19 BB, 62 K, 25 SB, 0 CS

The switch-hitting outfielder doesn't bring a lot of offense to the table, but does provide speed and defense. He has yet to commit an error in 57 games between center field (56 games) and left. But last week against Arkansas, the 2024 seventh-round draft choice out of Utah had his best week of the season offensively, slashing .444/.545/.500 (8-for-18) with three walks, a double and one RBI. He was also hit by a pitch once, putting him on base 12 times. He took advantage of that to steal five bases. That gave him a perfect 25-for-25 on steals this season. He ranks sixth in the Texas League in steals and is the only one among the top 23 in the league yet to be caught.

One of two players with the first name Kai on the Missions' roster (Kai Murphy, son of Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, is the other), Roberts has made progress offensively even if his batting average doesn't show it. This season, he has a line-drive rate of 27.1%, which is up significantly from the 18.3% he had last year. Now 25 years old, Roberts has also been promoted a bit aggressively after appearing in 24 games in his draft year at Low-A Lake Elsinore, then 83 games last year at High-A Fort Wayne.

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!