San Diego Padres Top Prospects Rankings: #5-1

5. Humberto Cruz, RHP, Complex League

Signed alongside Leo De Vries in the 2024 international signing class, Humberto Cruz joined the Padres shortly after turning 17. A Mexican native, Cruz got a quick taste of professional baseball in Mexico, where he pitched for Diablos Rojos del Mexico at the ripe age of 16 before signing with the Padres for $750,000 in February of 2024. He only appeared in a two-game stint in the Arizona Complex League last year, and he has also opened his 2025 campaign there.  

Standing at 6'1" and 170 pounds at 18 years old, Cruz is a very projectable athlete with plenty of arm talent. He has seen a significant jump in velocity since entering the system, now running his fastball up into the high 90s. What separates him from the rest of the teenagers throwing high-90s fastballs is his ability to locate it well, along with his secondaries. The fastball has a more pronounced sinker shape, with significant arm-side run that gets in on right-handed hitters. His low-80s changeup is another plus offering that produces a lot of fade and works well off the fastball because of his command of the pitch. When it comes to breaking pitches, Cruz just throws a tight slider that has flashed above-average results, but still has some work to do. He can probably benefit from the addition of another breaking offering at some point, but the advanced command of the strike zone along with two-plus pitches is certainly a good start for the 18-year-old. 

4. Boston Bateman, LHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore

The Padres certainly surprised some folks by taking another left-handed prep pitcher following their selection of Kash Mayfield in the 2024 class. However, the Padres were sold on Bateman as they signed him for nearly a million dollars over the slot value to get him in their system as the 52nd overall pick. Bateman was a product of Adolfo Camarillo High School in California, where he was committed to LSU. Bateman is 19 years old, turning 20 in September, and is pitching alongside Mayfield in the Low-A league. 

The first thing that stands out for Bateman is the physical profile. He stands at 6'8" and 240 pounds, but moves surprisingly well for his size. The delivery is a pretty easy operation, as there isn't any added arm action, but he does create some deception with his arm slot and slight cross-fire action, while getting plenty of extension due to his long levers. In terms of delivery and physical profile, he draws similarities to Garrett Crochet. As for the pitch mix, Bateman features a fastball, curveball, and a changeup. The fastball sits comfortably in the mid-90s and has topped out at 98 mph. The curveball is his premier secondary offering and his best pitch, but he has also started working on a hard slider. The changeup is fringy, but it will complete his arsenal if he develops a feel for it.

3. Kash Mayfield, LHP, Low-A Lake Elsinore

The Padres continued their long-standing tradition of selecting prep talents with their first-round picks last year by selecting Kash Mayfield 25th overall in July. Mayfield was a standout at Elk City High School in Oklahoma, where he won back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Oklahoma in both his junior and senior seasons. Having turned 20 earlier this year, Mayfield was a bit older for his draft class, but that wasn't going to stop the Padres from selecting him in the first round and signing him away from his Oklahoma State commitment. Mayfield is getting his first taste of professional baseball in 2025, where he's starting games in Low-A. 

Standing at 6'4" and 200 pounds, Mayfield has the ideal starter's frame along with the tools to make him a potential front-line starter in the future. It's a very effortless and repeatable delivery for the lefty that allows him to find the strike zone with ease. The command for Mayfield is advanced for a pitcher his age, which lays a solid foundation for future success. As for the arsenal, it's a fastball, slider, changeup mix, with each offering flashing above-average to plus results. The fastball sits in the low to mid-90s, but has topped out at 97 mph. His low-80s changeup was one of the best offspeed pitches in the 2024 draft class, featuring plenty of drop and fade. He has some work to do with his upper-70s slider in terms of pitch shape, but it plays up due to his ability to locate it well. 

2. Ethan Salas, C, Double-A San Antonio

Ethan Salas is a product of the 2023 international signing class, where he was the top-ranked prospect in his class. Signed out of Venezuela, Salas is a native of Florida but relocated to Venezuela so the Padres could sign him at a younger age. In his first season in San Diego's system, the Padres were not hesitant to put him in front of higher-level competition as he was catching games in Double-A at just the age of 16. He turns 19 in June, making him one of the youngest players in Double-A at the moment. He certainly has baseball in his blood, as his father, grandfather, and uncle all played Minor League Baseball. Additionally, his younger brother, Andrew, was signed by the Marlins in this year's international signing class. 

The calling card for Salas, and most of his value to this point in his professional career, has been his defense behind the plate. He's arguably the best defensive catcher in Minor League Baseball, and some evaluators have gone so far as to say they have never seen a catcher as advanced as Salas at his age. The arm is more than strong enough to limit the run game, while his accuracy has improved a lot since joining the professional ranks. He's an excellent mover behind the plate, too, which has made him one of the top blockers in the game. Offensively, it's been a roller-coaster ride for Salas, but there's a lot to like about the swing and approach, as well as some power he continues to flash as he has gotten older. As long as he can hit enough, the glove will carry him to San Diego.

1. Leo De Vries, SS, High-A Fort Wayne

Leo De Vries is an 18-year-old shortstop signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2024 international free agent signing class. The switch-hitting standout was the top-ranked player in the class a year ago and is already excelling in High-A, where he is the youngest player in the Midwest League. He doesn't turn 19 until the conclusion of the regular season, which only speaks to his high ceiling, considering the level of success he has already found at the lower levels of the minor leagues. 

De Vries is the embodiment of the five-tool player. At the plate, it's an excellent combination of hit and power from both sides, with more of his power coming from the right side. It's a comfortable 60-grade hit tool and a 55-grade power tool, as he makes consistent hard contact to all fields with plenty of pull-side power. As he grows into his 6'1" frame, he's expected to tap into more of that juice. It's a "passive-aggressive" approach as he keeps his sights in the zone, which leads to plenty of walks, but there is some swing and miss, which has yielded roughly league-average strikeout and contact rates. If he struggles at the plate, he has other tools in his tool bag to keep his profile afloat. He's a plus defender at shortstop, with plenty of feel to stick there long-term, along with an above-average arm. On the base paths, he's not expected to steal 30+ bases, but certainly has the athleticism to get around and provide value in that manner as well. 

See the rest of our Padres' top prospects ranking:
Padres Top 20: #20-16
Padres Top 20: #15-11
Padres Top 20: #10-6

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!