San Diego Padres 2026 Top Prospects: Ryan Wideman (No. 9)

Padres Mission's countdown of the top 20 San Diego Padres prospects, as voted on by our staff writers, continues with deeper profiles on the top 10 entering the 2026 season.

Check out previous editions of these rankings here:

• No. 10: Kale Fountain
• Nos. 11-15
• Nos. 16-20

No. 9 Ryan Wideman (Lake Elsinore Storm)

After one season at Western Kentucky, the San Diego Padres selected center fielder Ryan Wideman in the third round of the 2025 draft. Wideman had spent the two previous years in junior college at Georgia Highlands and then became the Conference USA Player of the Year at Western Kentucky.

The 22-year-old son of former Clemson men's basketball player Tom Wideman is very toolsy. He can definitely hit for average, posting a .398/.466/.652 slash line in his lone season (60 games) at Western Kentucky after a .423/.488/.724 in 115 Juco games. He also brings a big speed aspect, stealing 48 bases in 2024 and then 45 in 2025.

Besides those two traits, many onlookers feel that his power potential is untapped due in part to a 6-foot-4, 204-pound frame. Wideman had 10 homers at Western Kentucky after 22 in two Juco seasons. After being selected, he reported to Low A Lake Elsinore and had a .229/.330/.271 slash line in 26 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs with 11 steals in 12 tries.

The concern with Wideman offensively is how he adjusts to pro pitching. His grounder and chase rates were among the worst in Division I. The Padres will need to help Wideman hone in his approach at the plate, perhaps eliminating a big leg kick. After striking out 47 times in 283 plate appearances (16.6%) at Western Kentucky, he went down 32 times in 112 plate appearances (28.6%) at Lake Elsinore. He had a 40% chase rate in college in 2025 and 35% with the Storm.

Defensively, Wideman has the speed and the range to track down any ball in center field, but needs to improve his routes to the ball, something that can be smoothed over as a pro. While he has an average arm, his legs will keep him in center.

A return to Lake Elsinore and the California League seems pretty obvious in order to put the changes made in the offseason and spring training into action. With the investment of a third-round pick, at least a round or two higher than projected, Wideman will get time to prove himself. If things click early and the Padres like what they are seeing, a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne will be waiting. His tools are easy to dream on, especially if he puts together a 25-homer season, which seems very reachable based on his college performance. It would not be out of bounds to project a 25-homer, 70-steal season while playing the premium position of center field if absolutely everything clicks.

But that only comes if he is able to smooth out the rough patches at the plate.