San Diego Padres Select Coleman Borthwick With No. 21 Pick In 2026 MLB Draft

The draft fed right into the San Diego Padres' philosophy, so they didn't have to zig, although they did zag a bit.

With the 21st pick in Saturday's MLB Draft, the Padres selected Florida high school right-hander Coleman Borthwick. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder, who played at South Walton High School in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., was the fourth pitcher, high school or college, off the board and the third straight prep pitcher the Friars picked

The Padres took left-handers Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft, respectively, in the last two years. Mayfield is pitching this weekend in the Futures Game as part of the All-Star Game festivities and is currently Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect, while Schoolcraft is our No. 5 prospect. Borthwick, an Auburn commit, is the 10th consecutive prep player overall under president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller.

The slot value for the 21st pick is $4,224,700. Draft picks have until July 27 to sign. Considering most outlets had Borthwick further down on their rankings, he would seem to be an easy sign with money from his slot being distributed to other picks.

Borthwick is 18 years old and played under his dad in high school. He put on about 10 pounds since last year and his fastball was up to 98 mph on last year's summer circuit, then touching 100 mph this spring during the high school season. He also has a mid-80s slider with a lot of snap and a mid-80s changeup. The slider is a very nice complement to his fastball, while the changeup needs a bit of work. However, some have questioned his low arm slot, something that has been credited for how effective his fastball is, but can also be cleaned up as he enters pro ball.

DiamondCentric's Jamie Cameron had this to say about Borthwick, who was 27th on his big board:

"Borthwick is a physical monster out of Florida, built more like an NFL linebacker than a high school baseball player. Standing at 6'6, 255 pounds, he's an exciting two way prospect, but most believe his future is on the mound. It's a slightly crossfire delivery which helps to create a more unusual angle for hitters as he strides down the mound. However it looks, there's a ton of quality in the stuff. Borthwick recently ran his fastball up to 100 mph for the first time. It's a pitch that will sit 94-96 mph with plenty of run. It's paired with a quality slider, a pitch that might already be plus. It sits in the mid-80s with some sharp, late tilt. Borthwick has a changeup in the bank too, but it's been used sparingly to date. Borthwick has been a more effective strike thrower to date than you might expect from a frame his size and such an explosive arsenal. He's committed to Auburn but has T30 pick upside."

His fastball received a 70-grade from Baseball America and his control a 55 from Baseball American and MLB Pipeline. Baseball America ranked his fastball and breaking ball (slider) among the top five for high school pitchers in this draft.

Borthwick was a two-way star as a power-hitting third baseman, drawing comparisons to Austin Riley, but that route is unlikely to be explored by the Padres, even though it does show some of his athleticism. On the mound this spring, he went 11-0 with a 0.21 ERA, .082 opponent average and 12.9 strikeouts per seven innings. At the plate, he hit .460 with nine homers and 34 RBIs for a 1.498 OPS. South Walton (30-4) was ranked No. 1 in the state and won the state title for the first time in program history. Borthwick was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Florida.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Borthwick, like Schoolcraft, make a start or two at Low-A Lake Elsinore this fall, then open 2027 with the Storm. Borthwick is not as much of a project as Schoolcraft, so could move quicker through the system than last year's 25th overall pick.

Check out our 2026 mock draft board, updated regularly, and with detailed player write-ups!