Steve Drumwright

While the MLB Draft concluded one big piece of work for the San Diego Padres, there was still some immediate work left to do to help their minor-league system. Sign undrafted free agents, something they do pretty well. Two undrafted free agents are currently in Padres Mission's Top 20 prospects in Braedon Karpathios, who went undrafted in 2024, and Alex McCoy, who wasn't picked last summer. As of Thursday, Baseball America had reported that the Padres had signed nine players who were not selected, including two that were in the publication's top 500 draft prospects (there were 613 picked). All but two were out of college, with the others from high school. Leading the way are Mississippi State right-hander Tyler Pitzer and Winthrop outfielder Josh Skowronski. Pritzer (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) is a reliever who spent his first two seasons at South Carolina before transferring to Mississippi State. He struck out 38 in 30 innings over 22 appearances, posting a 3.20 ERA and a .193 opponent average. Pitzer was Baseball America's No. 307 draft prospect. Skowronski is a physical presence at 6-5 and 220 pounds and can play center field. After starting his career at Kentucky, he transferred to Winthrop for the past two seasons. The left-handed hitter slashed .305/.436/.588 with 13 homers and 49 RBIs in 58 games his first year at Winthrop, but followed that up with a .251/.414/.410 year with four homers and 23 RBIs in 55 games this season. Skowronski was Baseball America's 380th-ranked draft prospect. Here are the other seven at this point: Aidan Cochrane, RHP, East Lyme (Conn.) HS Drew Detlefsen, OF, Texas-San Antonio Ryan Gerety, OF, Northeastern Mac Moyer, OF, Nebraska Jack Pineau, RHP, Creighton Logan Satter, RHP Legion Collegiate Academy (S.C.) Andrew Wright, LHP, Cal State Fullerton Moyer has MLB bloodlines as the son of 25-year MLB left-hander Jamie Moyer. All of these players can sign for up to $150,000 without affecting the Padres' draft-bonus pool. None of the Padres' draft picks have signed thus far. View full rumor

Whether or not the 2027 MLB season begins on time is one question, but at least we know when games are supposed to start next year. The San Diego Padres will open 2027 with seven games at Petco Park, including Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondback on March 25. There will be one MLB game on March 24, a matchup to be determined. As it was this year when the San Francisco Giants hosted the New York Yankees, Netflix will be the exclusive carrier of the March 24 game. The traditional March 25 Opening Day is the earliest non-special event opener in MLB history. After that four-game Thursday-Sunday series vs. the D'backs, the Padres will host the Colorado Rockies for three games March 29-31 before hitting the road for six games against the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals from April 2-7. The Friars have their first series against the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers when they return home April 9-11. Among the other notable series is the Padres heading to Las Vegas to face the A's on June 4-6. They also have a scheduled doubleheader June 23 at Petco Park against the Chicago Cubs, then having two days off before beginning a road trip against the Toronto Blue Jays. Another scheduled doubleheader is July 10 against the Colorado Rockies in Denver on the weekend before the All-Star break. The All-Star Game is July 13 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Padres conclude the 2027 season with a six-game road trip against the D'backs and Chicago White Sox. The start of the season is in doubt due to a probable lockout by owners as the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. View full rumor

Editor's note: Padres Mission spoke with two industry experts about the state of the San Diego Padres' minor-league system, what they have done right, what they have done wrong and how they got to this state. This is the final of four articles on the subject. Part 1: Trades Have Depleted Majority of San Diego's Prospect Capital Part 2: Despite Farm Ranking, Padres Are Good At Acquiring Talent Part 3: How Industry Experts Rank San Diego's Internal Prospect Hierarchy One of the big questions the San Diego Padres face as the trade deadline approaches is this: If they do go after one of the big fish on the trade market, do they deal off the top of the deck and ship out catcher Ethan Salas? Two baseball analysts are of the opinion that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller would likely hold onto Salas, Padres Mission’s No. 1 prospect and a top-50 prospect in all of baseball. “I pretty much never say anyone's untouchable, right? Because if the Dodgers call and say, 'We'll give you Shohei Ohtani for Salas,' of course you're doing that,” said Keith Law, senior baseball writer at The Athletic who ranks prospects. “There's always a price that someone else can meet. However, I am not trading Salas unless it is for a world-changing trade.” Tarik Skubal would certainly be a world-changer. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who is a free agent at the end of the year, would also come at a steep price. What would that look like for the Padres? “I don't think they can go out and get a Tarik Skubal unless they're willing to trade Ethan Salas—that's just straight up not going to happen,” said Sam Dykstra, a senior reporter at MLB Pipeline. “You could put (pitchers) Miguel Mendez, Kruz Schoolcraft and Kash Mayfield into a package (without Salas) and that's still not going to be enough to get somebody like Skubal, even on a rental. Are they going to be aggressive enough with that? I don't know. I think it's telling that of all the trades they've made, Salas is the one who continues to stick around because I think they really, really like his defense behind the plate and they know that that's going to make him a possible regular at a premium position, and somebody you can dream on for a long time.” Law and Dykstra have been encouraged by what they have either seen or heard about Salas, a 20-year-old left-handed hitter, this season. Salas missed all but 10 games of 2025 with a stress reaction in his lower back. Combined with offensive struggles in a full season at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024, all of the major rankings dropped him significantly. But he is now back in the top half of top-100 lists now and began this week with a slash line of .284/.353/.422 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. He also has a career-high 14 stolen bases in addition to what made him the top player in the 2023 international free-agent class: elite defense. “Haven't seen him live (this year), so this is all second-hand, but this is much more the player we thought they had two, three years ago,” Law said. “He's stronger ... back injuries like that, they can wreck you both sides of the ball when you're a catcher. Everything is better. He's hitting the ball harder, his at-bats look better, he's receiving better. He just looks healthy again, too, and he looks 20, not 17 or 18. When I first saw him, he was still 16, and he carried himself like an older player, looked like an older player. Catching a B game with Joe Musgrove throwing and Salas had no issues doing that. ... I think the problem is everyone kind of overestimated, or just forgot, that he was so young, right? Overestimated where he was in terms of his skill level and now that's all catching up.” While there was enough hype around Salas after being the top international free agent of 2023, that only grew when he reported to the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm as a 16-year-old and proceeded to put up a .267/.350/.487 slash line with 11 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs in 48 games. With the end of the season approaching, the Padres promoted Salas to High-A for nine games, then aggressively to the Double-A San Antonio Missions for another nine games. He struggled offensively at those two stops, going 12-for-70 with two doubles and six RBIs. His offensive woes continued in 2024 at Fort Wayne, where he began the year as a 17-year-old, producing a slash line of .206/.288/.311 with 27 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 53 RBIs in 113 games. Some feel that Salas was overly promoted and his offensive progress stunted as he was playing against 21- and 22-year-olds. The aggressive promotions are something you often hear with some Padres prospects. “I think it's tough to say if they've been too aggressive in the past,” Dykstra said. “Because you look back at Salas in 2024 and I think that was the classic example of a lot of people in the industry were throwing up their hands as to what exactly happened there. You can even go back a year before, when he was making Double-A in his first full season. A lot of that was to try to make a push for the playoffs in San Antonio. I don't think it was necessarily that they saw him instantly as a Double-A player, but they're like giving him a couple games there at the end of the year. And then he goes to Fort Wayne (in 2024) and really struggles all year and he made some mid-year adjustments. But I think that was a special case.” Said Law: “I think that was true with Salas and I think him getting hurt last year may have actually saved him a little bit in that it slowed him down. So now, he's at a level that's quite a bit more appropriate to his age. He's 20, Double-A, not a lot of experience there, but he is also super-talented and he's been holding his own. He was the one where I just always like, 'What are you doing?' I will say, I also did not love them changing Jackson Merrill's position and jumping him to the big leagues. If I remember correctly, [he had] little to no experience at Triple-A at that point. That's a lot and the kid handled it like he played the outfield well from Day 1, which I did not anticipate at all. I think I said quite the opposite. ... That's a case of, I would argue, them knowing their players better than I do.” A promotion to Triple-A in most organizations would seem obvious, but with the Padres’ affiliate in El Paso and a lot of hitter-friendly environments in the Pacific Coast League, it could be beneficial for Salas to remain at Double-A San Antonio and continue to thrive there with an eye on him being the Padres’ Opening Day catcher for 2027. “There are two arguments to not move him,” Law said. “One, you've moved him so fast, just give him a whole year, let him go around the league a couple times, let pitchers adjust to him and he has to adjust back. And second, talk to any player development guy who's got an affiliate in one of those PCL parks, they hate it. They hate sending guys there because hitters learn bad habits and pitchers start becoming afraid to pitch to contact, or are afraid to just throw certain pitches because between the altitude and the smaller ballparks, it just doesn't work. San Antonio, as I recall, has generally been neutral to a pitcher's park. Let him stay there, even if he's producing, rather than send him to El Paso, where I just don't think guys get a whole lot of value out of playing in that environment.” View full article

The San Diego Padres will be without a key reliever to begin their most important road trip thus far in 2026. Left-hander Wandy Peralta was put on the bereavement list Wednesday by the Padres, who called up right-hander Jhony Brito from Triple-A El Paso. Peralta can be away from the team for up to three days, although with the All-Star break lasting through Thursday, it isn't clear when Peralta must return to the team. Peralta could miss just one game or the entire series against the Kansas City Royals. Peralta has a 3.93 FIP (2.23 ERA) across 41 outings, second-most on the team, and 48⅓ innings. He has a 9.6% walk rate and 15.7% strikeout rate. Brito returned to the Padres on July 7 following an internal brace procedure and flexor tendon surgery from April 2025. He appeared in two games, pitching 4⅓ innings and allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts, before being sent down just Saturday. One of the hits he allowed was a homer. View full rumor

Could there be another blockbuster involving the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees? The Yankees are reportedly interested in All-Star Padres closer Mason Miller, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The two teams hooked up in the 2023 offseason blockbuster in which the Padres shipped superstar outfielder Juan Soto and center fielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees for pitchers Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Miller would give the Yankees a better back end of the bullpen, moving current closer David Bednar to a setup role. Bednar is also a free agent following this season, while Miller is under club control through 2029. The Yankees have a few pitching prospects to dangle in front of the Padres, including right-handers Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess. Top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. is likely off the table unless there is more involved coming from the Friars. Rodriguez made his MLB debut in June, appearing in four games, while Lagrange is at Triple-A and Hess at Double-A. As the Padres have found out this year, you can never have too much pitching depth. View full rumor

Editor's note: Padres Mission spoke with two industry experts about the state of the San Diego Padres' minor-league system, what they have done right, what they have done wrong, and how they got to this state. This is the third of four articles on the subject. Part 1: Trades Have Depleted Majority of San Diego's Prospect Capital Part 2: Despite Farm Ranking, Padres Are Good At Acquiring Talent With the San Diego Padres sitting at the bottom of the team prospect rankings, that means finding the top prospects in a system like this can sometimes be a difficult task. The good news is that there is a clear-cut No. 1 prospect in Ethan Salas. After that? You get a mixed bag, including who we and our readers at Padres Mission ranked in our Top 20. “You look at (the system) and you're like, ‘Are there 20 prospects here I would get excited about? No, are there six or seven? Yes,’” said Sam Dykstra, a senior reporter at MLB Pipeline. “And then they end up trading four of those and getting a key piece to make a postseason run. Now, that hasn't resulted in a pennant or a trophy or anything really substantive, but they're the ones who could pull off, were willing to pull off the Mason Miller trade last year.” Who does Dykstra have in his personal top five? “My top five right now, it's interesting,” Dykstra said. “We (at MLB Pipeline) have Ethan Salas, Kruz Schoolcraft, Miguel Mendez, Kash Mayfield and Jorge Quintana as the top five right now. ... (Former Top 100 prospect Schoolcraft is) a long-term project. I think there's a debate between him and Mayfield at two and Mendez, I still really like the fastball. I think it's major-league-quality stuff. So I think it's a clear one, you can put Schoolcraft, Mendez, Mayfield in any order, two through four. And then, at No. 5, I know (center fielder Ryan) Wideman's been really good this year. I'm tempted to go Tucker Musgrove, which is more aggressive than I would like for a relief prospect. I get that, but I'm pretty convinced that that (pitch) mix and now that he's healthy ... that fastball is really going to work well. The carry is really good, the velocity is really good. He's going to get important major-league outs for some team, whether that's the Padres, whether that's another team, I don't know.” Keith Law of The Athletic, on the other hand, was really high on another catcher the Padres have. “Salas one, (Ty) Harvey two and Schoolcraft three and then it starts to get kind of dicey,” Law said. “I mean, I know everybody wants to put Mayfield four, but I have not had good reports on him at all this year. The stuff is down, it's a little concerning. It can come back. That happened with (ex-Padres prospect Robby) Snelling actually. Snelling had a period where his stuff was also down. ... I had Miguel Mendez fourth before the season. I probably have him fourth now over Mayfield. You know, I'm trying to like mentally recalibrate the list as we're talking too. (Shortstop) Jorge Quintana, he's having a lousy season, but he's also 19 and at Low-A. He could be in short-season ball. I'm not giving up on him, but I don't see a reason to elevate him over Mayfield at this point. I guess that's kind of where I come down, I would say, Mayfield this fifth. It's a little bit by default.” The 19-year-old Harvey was the Padres’ fifth-round draft choice a year ago out of Inspiration Academy in Florida and is currently on the injured list with a fractured left hand. In 15 games, Harvey has a .340/.466/.447 slash line with no homers, six RBIs and five stolen bases. Harvey was also included in Baseball America’s top five. That outlet has, in order, Salas, Mayfield, Schoolcraft, Harvey and Wideman as the current cream of the crop. Of course, now that the 2026 MLB Draft is complete, a few new names (like first-rounder Coleman Borthwick) should be competing for this distinction soon. As for under-the-radar prospects from a national point of view, Dykstra was keen on outfielders Braedon Karpathios and Alex McCoy and right-handed starter Winyer Chourio and Bryan Balzer. He also mentioned outfielder Kale Fountain, who is out for the season following shoulder surgery, as someone to watch once he returns to action. View full article

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!): Justin DeCriscio, SS, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: .293/.372/.487, 78 games, 48 R, 21 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 31 BB, 49 K, 14 SB, 10 CS Last year's 10th-round draft choice out of North Carolina State capped a terrific week of hitting with a career-high five RBIs in Sunday's series finale against the West Michigan Whitecaps. The SoCal native, born in Orange and having started his career at the University of San Diego has been a steady if unspectacular performer for High-A Fort Wayne since a mid-May promotion from Low-A Lake Elsinore. But last week, in addition to having hits in all six games, the 23-year-old shortstop put up a ridiculous .522/.556/.783 slash line (12-for-23). He had three doubles and a homer, with that blast being a three-run shot Sunday. His hitting streak is now at nine games, with hits in 19 of his last 21. In his final three games last week, he had two three-hit performances and went 8-for-13. In 50 games with the TinCaps, DeCriscio has 17 multihit games, including six with three hits. Since June 18, he has a .345/.408/.563 slash line. He started the season with 28 games at Lake Elsinore, putting up a .311/.363/.544 slash line. Bryan Balzer, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 6-3, 4.71 ERA, 15 games (14 starts), 72⅔ IP, 67 H, 42 R, 38 ER, 28 BB, 73 K, .245 opponent average A 21-year-old who signed in 2023 as an international free agent out of Japan, the right-handed starter had a tremendous outing Saturday in a 4-2 win over West Michigan. In his third start for the TinCaps since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore, Balzer went five innings, giving up just a run on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. The eight punchouts were his most this season, surpassing the seven he had in his season debut April 2 vs. Ontario. Balzer had mixed results in his first two High-A starts. In his debut June 27, he was tagged for six runs in 3⅔ innings with four hits, a career-worst five walks and two strikeouts. Balzer had never walked four in any of his previous 34 career appearances. He bounced back on the Fourth of July with 3⅔ innings, allowing one earned run in the three runs he surrendered on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts. His 73 strikeouts rank third in the Padres' system. Balzer has made tremendous improvements since his full-season debut in 2025 at Lake Elsinore, where he had a 7.92 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) and 50 innings. He had an 11.6% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Flash forward to 2026 and those numbers are now 4.71 in 15 games (14 starts) in 72⅔ innings, walking 9% of batters and striking out 23.4%. Eric Yost, RHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 4-2, 2.90 ERA, 15 games (10 starts), 1 save (1 chance), 60 IP, 44 H, 26 R, 26 ER, 42 BB, 58 K, .210 opponent average While mainly a starter in his career since being drafted in the 17th round in 2023 out of Northeastern, Yost has been flexible this season with five of his 15 appearances coming out of the bullpen. But the 23-year-old's value is as a starter. After making a spot start for his Triple-A debut on the Fourth of July, Yost returned to Double-A San Antonio and was mostly sharp. On Friday in an 8-7 win over Midland, Yost struck out seven over five innings, allowing a run on six hits and four walks. He also hit a batter, which has been an issue in his last six starts with seven plunkings, three in one game. While his one start for El Paso was a bit rough, giving up five runs in 3⅓ innings, Yost has been fairly steady for the Missions. After his first three appearances of the season came out of the bullpen in a bulk roles, including two four-inning scoreless outings, Yost gave up five runs in his second start, but never more than three in any other game aside from the Triple-A outing. Walks have been troublesome with a 16% rate, while striking out 22.1% of batters. However, the walks have been mitigated by his .210 opponent average, including .191 with the Missions. Maikel Miralles, RHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 1-7, 8.08 ERA, 14 games (11 starts), 49 IP, 58 H, 49 R, 44 ER, 41 BB, 34 K, .296 opponent average The 21-year-old right-handed starter, an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2023, has had a rough 2026 to say the least, represented by his 8.08 ERA. But there have been a handful of bright spots. One of those came Sunday as Miralles surrendered just one hit and one run in a five-inning relief appearance. In the final game before the All-Star break and four days off for the team, two pitchers preceded Miralles, who came on in the third inning and stifled West Michigan in a 9-1 win. While Miralles hasn't been a big strikeout guy this year, he did punch out nine in his season debut. And other than back-to-back starts to begin May where he had five and six strikeouts, he hasn't notched more than three in any of his other 11 outings. That includes Sunday, where he didn't have a single strikeout. He did walk three in that game, which led to his season walk total now surpassing his strikeout total 44-41. Neither rate (14% walk, 16.9% strikeout) is good, but the Padres know he has the potential. Miralles spent time at four levels in 2025, beginning at Low-A Lake Elsinore, going down to the Arizona Complex League, back to Lake Elsinore, all the way up to Triple-A El Paso, then down to High-A Fort Wayne. He only made one ACL and Triple-A appearance and two for Fort Wayne, putting up a 5.17 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) for Lake Elsinore. Qrey Lott, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: .280/.396/.427, 55 games, 34 R, 9 2B, 0 3B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 13 BB, 49 K, 11 SB, 2 CS The 21-year-old, signed as an undrafted free agent last year, is a very toolsy outfielder who can dominate the game at any moment. One of those was his eighth pro game when he went 5-for-5 with a pair of homers and six RBIs for Lake Elsinore. Last week vs. Rancho Cucamonga, he had a .500/.650/.786 slash line (7-for-14) with four doubles and four RBIs. He also drew two walks and scored three times. His big game was a 3-for-3 performance with two RBIs Wednesday in a 6-4 win in 10 innings over the Quakes, driving in the go-ahead run in the 10th with his second double of the game. At 6-foot-3 (down 2 inches from his listed draft height last year), Lott is lanky and athletic with a good power-speed combo. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round out of high school in 2023, but instead went to Northwest Florida State, a junior college, for two years. There, he put up a combined .335/.482/.555 with 12 homers and 21 stolen bases. While he has been a solid contributor since making his pro debut in late April, his playing time picked up when promotions happened a few weeks ago. View full article

While the process has taken longer than many on the outside thought, the sale of the San Diego Padres will happen. That is according to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who held court prior to Tuesday's All-Star Game and was asked about the record $3.9 billion purchase by Jose E. Felciano and Kwanza Jones. “It’s a question of getting investment commitments, documentation to be put in a condition that it’s ready for a club vote,” Manfred said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. News of the sale agreement broke in mid-April, with the Seidler family negotiating the richest sale in MLB history, surpassing the $2.4 billion that Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020. Cohen, one of the richest people in the world, acquired 95% control of the team. Feliciano and Jones are said to be purchasing a 45% stake in the Padres, with several other people, groups and entities piecing together the remaining 55%. That is where it seems things have slowed down. That and the sale news becoming public earlier in the process than what is typical. “When people in the public become aware of the sale — this one was earlier, quicker than what sometimes happens,” Manfred said. “Usually, it gets public when it’s a little closer to final documents. But (the sale) will get done.” There was an owners meeting in June where a vote could have taken place. Now, it seems like the approval will happen in August at the next owners meeting. A vote to approve new ownership requires 22 of the other 29 teams. View full rumor

Now that the 2026 MLB Draft is complete, it is time to make sense of what the San Diego Padres did. Every draft's focus is, appropriately, on the first-round draft pick. For the Friars, that was high school right-handed starter Coleman Borthwick, taken with the 21st overall pick. At 6-foot-6 and listed at 245 pounds (or 260), the 18-year-old out of South Walton High School in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., is a prototype power pitcher who could lead a rotation. Borthwick was the fourth pitcher and second from the high school ranks to be selected. That also fits how the Padres approach the draft: They take prep players in the first round, then shift to collegians after that. It is a two-part strategy. The Padres feel they find value that other teams steer away from in the first round. High school pitchers are inherently risky. For instance, last year, Seth Hernandez, a right-hander out of Corona High School right here in SoCal, was the early leader to go No. 1 overall. But high school right-handers don't go No. 1. Instead, he went sixth overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, he has as much helium as anyone from that draft and was one of the stars of Sunday's Futures Game. That's not to say that Borthwick will follow that pattern, but the pick was roundly lauded by draft experts. Borthwick has good athleticism, having also played third base and possessing a power bat. But he won't touch a bat as he enters pro ball. Instead, he will bring a four-seamer that generally sits in the 93-95 mph range, can easily get up to 98 and has touched 100 mph this spring. He also has a terrific, snappy slider and a changeup that will need refining. His bonus is slotted at $4,224,700 and his signing is not in question. In fact, none of the selections in the first 10 rounds have signability issues. Padres' Hidden Gems In The Draft Every team looks for value or hidden talent wherever it can be found and that certainly holds true for the Padres. Of the 21 players the Padres picked, there look to be three (well, four, but we will get to that one in a minute) where they found value on a sliding player—at least by other outlets' rankings. The first is seventh-round draft choice Joe Tiroly, a junior infielder out of Virginia. One reason could be a broken foot he sustained in fall camp as he transferred to Virginia that hindered him until the season began, yet he played in every game this season. He wound up with a .319/.408/.576 slash line and stepped in the postseason, leading the Cavaliers with 16 homers and 66 RBIs. He was the fourth of five Virginia players drafted, so he was surrounded by talent like he wasn't when he attended Rider, a much smaller Division I program. Tiroly, listed as a second baseman, is likely to also get a look at third base as he does have the arm for the position. Tiroly was ranked as the 99th prospect by Baseball America and 147th by MLB Pipeline and taken by the Friars with the 215th pick. Next is North Carolina State first baseman Chris McHugh, who was taken in the 11th round. The Padres typically don't profile their first basemen as power hitters and McHugh certainly is not a prototypical player at the position. His slash line as a junior (.320/.409/.525) was down from his sophomore season (.365/.462/.533), but he still produced nine homers. One of seven players from N.C. State to be drafted, the right-handed hitter also saw time in left field and previously played third, certainly something the Padres will explore. In addition to driving in 50 runs, McHugh had a 16-game hitting streak and led the team with 23 multi-hit games. Due to his skills at the plate, the power can be developed. Baseball America ranked him 139th and was taken by the Padres at No. 335. Another value pick was Northwestern junior shortstop Ryan Kucherak, who was selected in the 15th round. Kucherak was a teammate of No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., then went to LSU. He played sparingly at LSU, then transferred to Northwestern. He has power, having set the Northwestern record with 18 homers as a sophomore, then following that with 10 this past spring. He had a two-year slash line of .290/.388/.571 for the Wildcats. As a player with power is apt to do, he has swing-and-miss in his plate approach and did have issues with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League last summer. Kucherak will stick in the middle infield and also brings speed to his game. He was the No. 131 draft prospect by Baseball America and the Padres grabbed him with the 455th pick. Player Who Can Make The Padres' Draft As mentioned above, there don't appear to be any questions about signing picks in the top 10 rounds, which come with assigned slot values. Rounds 11-20 can be signed for $150,000 without affecting the draft pool. Any amounts over $150,000 count against the pool, which is $9,479,000 for the Padres. College players aren't typically tough signs, so that leaves the four high school players taken. Borthwick and second-rounder Elliot Lascelles, a second baseman from Toronto, will be easy signs as well. But that brings us to Denton Lord. While the name sets itself up for some terrific monikers, it is the talent that made the right-handed starter a top-100 draft prospect. Baseball America ranked Lord 54th and MLB Pipeline 80th. He has a commitment to Mississippi State, which already was going to make him a tough sign. Then, Lord announced Sunday on Instagram, after not being picked in the top five rounds, that he would honor his commitment to Mississippi State. The Padres rolled the dice and picked Lord in the 17th round (515th pick). Here is where it gets even more interesting. Lord attended the same high school as Borthwick, the Padres' top pick. That relationship could be a huge lure for the Padres to get the 6-8, 220-pounder into their system. They can save money from the first 10 rounds and bundle that to hand to Lord. While NIL can get players to campus, the Padres can certainly negotiate to get Lord a signing bonus of $1 million to $2 million, more suitable of a second- or third-round pick. Pulling this off would certainly be a boon to the Padres' system. Lord's four-seamer is 94 mph, one of the best of the high school class, and he can ramp up a few ticks when necessary. He also has good spin on his curveball that he sometimes uses too much as well as a slider. Lord also has a little-used changeup that can be developed. While possessing good tools at the moment, he also has plenty of projectability that an MLB team can work on to boost those assets. Lord did have Tommy John surgery as a high school freshman, but is clearly good to go. Catchers The Padres already have terrific catching depth in their system with Ethan Salas (Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect), Ty Harvey (No. 7), Lamar King Jr. (No. 11) and Truitt Madonna (No. 13) for starters, plus other hidden gems such as Yoiber Ocopio. But like pitching, you can never have too much quality catching. The Friars spent three of their 21 draft choices on college catchers, whereas Havey, King and Madonna were high school products. Those would be George Washington junior Robbie Lavey, USC sophomore Augie Lopez, and Notre Dame junior Mark Quatrani. Lavey and Lopez are left-handed hitters, which helps their cause. Lavey has been described as doing a lot of things well, but not one aspect stands out. Lopez broke through with a big power surge, hitting 19 homers this spring and needs to improve defensively. Quatrani jumped from the Ivy League at Cornell to the Atlantic Coast Conference and Notre Dame to improve his draft stock and all he did was slash .376/.457/.643 with 15 homers. The Padres could see a position change among this group down the road. View full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 4-3 Runs scored last week: 31 Runs allowed last week: 32 (season run differential: minus-43) Scores Game 90 (Monday): Diamondbacks 8, Padres 0 Game 91 (Tuesday): Padres 4, Diamondbacks 1 Game 92 (Wednesday): Padres 10, Diamondbacks 4 Game 93 (Thursday): Diamondbacks 3, Padres 1 Game 94 (Friday): Blue Jays 5, Padres 3 Game 95 (Saturday): Padres 8, Blue Jays 7 Game 96 (Sunday): Padres 5, Blue Jays 4 Week in Review and Highlights Diamondbacks series Game 1: No need to sugarcoat this. The Padres' players, as much as the fans, know how important of a stretch the team is in this week with the All-Star break and trade deadline looming. Facing an Arizona Diamondbacks team that was tied with the Friars entering the four-game series, the Padres came off an uplifting victory Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and were flat in an 8-0 loss. The game started with a Ketel Marte triple that wasn't played well by center fielder Jackson Merrill set the tone. “We just played an overall bad game,” Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “There was a lot to it.” There certainly was. For starters, right-hander Walker Buehler turned in a second straight stinker. After giving up nine runs in four innings in the 23-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Buehler gave up seven runs, including two homers, in five innings vs. the D'backs: two in the first, four in the third and another in the fourth. Before those two games, Buehler had been the most consistent Padres starter, even if that isn't saying a great deal. Buehler's ERA, at 3.96 four starts ago, now sits at 5.07. Much like the Padres, the D'backs have been a Jekyll-and-Hyde team. No clearer example of that is right-handed starter Brandon Pfaadt, who was just recently promoted from Triple-A and came into the game with a 5.84 ERA. But Pfaadt, who has a career ERA of 5.10, struck out six in five shutout innings, only giving up four hits and no walks. The Friars did finish with eight hits as Merrill and Jake Cronenworth each had a pair. Game 2: Listen, we're all looking for signs of positivity from the Padres at the moment. But when Cronenworth, who just came back at the beginning of the previous week from missing two months due to getting hit in the face by a pitch and sustaining a concussion, took a grounder to the face during batting practice. The scary situation ended up just being a bloody nose. But then Cronenworth, playing first base, booted a grounder by the second batter of the game. Not a good start. Cronenworth bounced back and made a splash, cranking a three-run second-inning homer that sent the Padres to a 4-1 victory over the D'backs. The home run came in Cronenworth's first game back at Petco Park since going on the concussion list. Cronenworth is showing how valuable his bat can be. After an 0-for-4 start upon his return, Cronenworth has been 9-for-25 with a pair of homers and six RBIs in seven games. Surprisingly, that would be about all the offense the Padres would need. That is because right-hander German Marquez, in his first start since coming off the 15-day injured list with right forearm irritation, stunned most everyone by going five innings and allowing just a run on three hits. He did walk three, while striking out four. His velocity was back up around 98 mph on his four-seamer after topping out at 95.3 in his start before going on the IL. But it looked grim in the first inning as Marquez gave up an unearned run (due to Cronenworth's error) while battling through 31 pitches, which had to send manager Craig Stammen into a bit of a panic with his bullpen possibly having to cover a lot of innings. Marquez held steady and made it through five innings, a distance he went just once during his six-game rehab assignment, on 82 pitches. Left-hander Yuki Matsui gave up a couple of singles in the sixth inning, which prompted Stammen to call upon right-hander Jhony Brito, who was pitching in his first game since 2024 after having elbow and flexor tendon surgery in April of last year. Brito's first pitch was hit for an inning-ending double play, then he had a perfect seventh inning, paving the way for right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez and closer Mason Miller, who locked down his 23rd save in as many chances with a pair of strikeouts. Game 3: For once in quite a while, the Padres had a game where the other team looked sloppy. They capitalized on a rookie pitcher making his fourth career start by pounding out 13 hits and Friars right-handed starter Michael King looked good again in a 10-4 victory over the D'backs. It didn't start well for King, who gave up just the second first-inning run of his season on a walk, a steal and a double. Yet he recovered very nicely to make it through six innings on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Yeah, the D'backs aren't a world-beating offense, but this was the type of performance the Padres will need from King the rest of the season. Meanwhile, the Padres rattled D'backs right-hander Jose Cabrera utilizing small ball. That was clear in the fifth inning. Already up 2-1, Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second. Merrill hit a comebacker to Cabrera, who spun and made an ill-advised throw to second to try and get Tatis, who dove back safely with Merrill reaching first. Tatis continued dancing off second and provoked Cabrera to balk the runners up a base. With the infield drawn in, Xander Bogaerts grounded a single off the shortstop's glove and into shallow left to score both runners to make it 4-1. The Padres then pounced on the D'backs' bullpen in the sixth for four runs, including Luis Campusano's first home run since coming back from his broken left big toe over the weekend. Sung-Mun Song, Tatis and Merrill added RBI singles as contributions came throughout the order. An unsung star was Miguel Andujar, who had three doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Campusano also had a pair of hits for the second game in a row as the Padres reached double digits in runs for the first time since May 5 and just the third time this year. Game 4: Facing the guy who said state taxes made the difference in choosing to remain in Arizona rather than sign with the Padres, the Friars had a tough time doing anything against right-handed starter Merrill Kelly in a 3-1 loss to the D'backs, settling for a split of the four-game series. The loss also put the Padres below .500 again at 46-47. If it wasn't for Machado, who blasted his team-leading 19th homer to begin the second inning and a fourth-inning single, it would have been worse. As it was, the Padres totaled just three hits (Tatis had the other in the third inning), while also getting three walks, including two by Campusano. In other words, Merrill was pretty good, striking out six over seven innings. Padres pitching was good, just not good enough for this game. Right-hander Griffin Canning still didn't give enough length, but did go 4⅔ innings, his longest in five outings since three straight five-inning starts. The encouraging thing is that the Friars did not use an opener with Canning, who did allow two runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. This was his first start this season without a walk. Matsui, however, did walk a pair and gave up a run in following Canning before Rodriguez, left-hander Wandy Peralta and left-hander Adrian Morejon finished things off. With a chance to win three out four against a team the Padres will be battling for an NL wild-card spot, it was a tough loss. Blue Jays series Game 1: This was a bit of a microcosm of the season. The Padres produced double-digit hits and sprinkled in three walks, but could time their production to manufacture more runs. It turned into a 5-3 loss against a struggling Toronto Blue Jays team. The Friars started out with a bang as Bogaerts smashed his ninth homer, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 lead. Yet that would be the extent of run production until Merrill's ninth-inning RBI single. While the Padres were facing a pitcher with a quality pedigree in right-hander Shane Bieber, they did manage six hits and three walks in 4⅔ innings, but couldn't deliver a true knockout blow. The Jays' bullpen was stingy after that, allowing just one hit until the ninth inning. Padres left-handed starter JP Sears was solid, but went just 4⅓ innings, giving up three runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. After giving up a run in the fourth, he exited after yielding singles to two of the first three batters he faced in the fifth. A slumping Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an RBI single off Brito, then Kazuma Okamoto delivered the big blow, a three-run homer, his 22nd, for a 5-2 lead. Aside from Bogaerts' homer, three Friars had two hits in Machado, Ty France and Rodolfo Duran. Game 2: Sometimes a bad trait infects both teams for a game. This was one of those times. The Padres benefited from 11 walks, but also issued six free passes of their own. It was the Friars who took better advantage and walked away having survived an 8-7 victory over the Jays thanks to France's solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. Oh, and neither starter made it past the second inning. It was that type of game. The Padres pounced on rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage, a Jays postseason hero last year, who gave up just one hit, but walked seven while getting just five outs, leading to. pair of two-run innings in the first and second. But Buehler again wasn't good as he walked four over two innings, leading to a four-run second inning. The Padres took the lead again with their third two-run burst in the first three innings, this one courtesy of Sung-Mun Song's two-run single to center. Cronenworth tacked on a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 7-4. The Jays showed some fight by pushing across three runs in the top of the sixth against Matsui to tie it, but France's 11th homer made the difference. Game 3: This seven-game homestand and the first half may not have gone the way the Padres hoped, but they did end it on a positive note. Behind a three-hit day from Machado, including a tying single in the eighth inning, and France's go-ahead sacrifice fly after, the Padres pulled out a 5-4 victory over the Jays. Now, they enter the All-Star break having won twice to get back to .500 at 48-48. This will be a good feeling for a team that hasn't had too much to be proud of since a hot April. They are just 17-27 since a win on May 23 had them a half-game out of first place in the NL West. The Friars are now in third place, a whopping 12½ games out of first and 3½ games from the final NL postseason slot. The Padres only scored in two innings, but that was enough. Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the second, Cronenworth had an RBI single, Song a bases-loaded walk and France scoring on a balk for a 3-1 advantage. The Jays tied it in the fourth against Marquez, making his second start in a row, then took the lead in the eighth with a run against Morejon. Bogaerts started the rally in the bottom of the eighth with a single and his 12th stolen base. Machado's third hit of the day was a line single to center to easily plate Bogaerts, tying the game 4-4. Machado went to second on a Gavin Sheets groundout, then was replaced by pinch-runner Jace Bowen, who promptly stole third. France cranked a 1-1 pitch to the warning track in right-center for a sac fly, bringing in Bowen with the go-ahead run. Then it was time for Miller to do what he does. The All-Star closer sealed the deal with a groundout, a popup and a strikeout of Guerrero for his 25th save in 25 chances. With four days off to get away from baseball a bit, the Padres can relax before hitting the road for a 10-game road trip to Kansas City, Atlanta and Miami. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 2-1, 0.91 ERA, 38 games, 25 saves (25 chances), 39⅔ IP, 18 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 13 BB, 72 K, .134 opponent average Miller is three saves shy of his career best of 28 set in 2024, his first full season in the majors. According to OptaStats, he is the first player to have an ERA below 1.00 and a more than 16 strikeouts per nine innings through 35 appearances since 1913, when earned runs were first tracked. His 25 saves are tied for second-most in MLB with Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians leads with 28. Random Stats Jake Cronenworth did not have an error in 34 games and 126 chances before going on the concussion list made four errors in his first eight games and 41 chances since coming back. The Padres and Blue Jays entered the series having played just 24 times in their histories, tied for the second-fewest of any two teams behind the 22 by the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. After starting the season 13-1 in games in which they had 10 or more hits, the Padres have lost seven of their last 11 such games. With 11 combined walks in the first two innings Saturday, the Padres-Blue Jays game was the fourth in the Expansion Era (1961) to have at least that many. Joe Musgrove officially hit 10 years of service time Saturday, a huge milestone for players. Transactions Tuesday: Recalled RHP Jhony Brito from Triple-A El Paso. Tuesday: Optioned RHP Alek Jacob to Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Placed LF Samad Taylor on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Wednesday: Selected the contract of 3B Luis Rengifo from Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Sent C Freddy Fermin on a rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso. Wednesday: Signed free-agent LF Dustin Harris to a minor-league contract. Saturday: Activated RHP Matt Waldron from the 15-day injured list. Saturday: Optioned RHP Jhony Brito to Triple-A El Paso. Website Highlights Padres select Coleman Borthwick in the first round of MLB Draft — Steve Drumwright Merrill's issues with fastballs finally has an origin — Randy Holt Matsui is the Padres' escape artist — Yirsandy Rodriguez Padres system analysis: Trades have depleted majority of prospect capital — Steve Drumwright Rodriguez's changeup has changed everything — Yirsandy Rodriguez Looking Ahead Monday: Home Run Derby, 5 p.m. Tuesday: All-Star Game, 5 p.m. Wednesday: Off Thursday: Off Friday: Padres at Royals, 5:10 p.m. Saturday: Padres at Royals, 1:10 p.m. Sunday: Padres at Royals, 11:10 a.m. View full article

The four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-2 Sunday as they head into a four-day break for the MLB All-Star Game. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were shut out 8-0 by Oklahoma City, the Double-A San Antonio Missions used a big inning to beat Midland 10-9, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps cruised to a 9-1 win over West Michigan and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were stopped by Rancho Cucamonga 6-2. All four will resume action Friday. Padres Minor-League Transactions None. Ethan Salas Shines, Kash Mayfield Goes 1 Inning In Futures Game While they didn't have a huge effect on the outcome of the game, Ethan Salas and Kash Mayfield showed well at the Futures Game in Philadelphia. The NL lost to the AL 6-1. Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect signed as an international free agent in 2023, had two plate appearances and reached both times, with a line-drive single on an 0-1 four-seamer from Texas Rangers right-hander Caden Scarborough, then walking on a 3-2 four-seamer from Boston Red Sox right-hander Anthony Eyanson in the fourth inning. The Double-A San Antonio Missions star started the game as the designated hitter, then switched to catcher in the top of the fifth to catch Mayfield before being removed in the sixth inning. This was Salas' second Futures Game, having appeared in 2024. Mayfield, Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect and a first-round draft choice in 2024, came on to pitch the fifth inning of the seven-inning game. The High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps star got Chicago White Sox shortstop Caleb Bonemer to ground out to third, then walked Ike Irish of the Baltimore Orioles on five pitches, with Salas challenging the final pitch. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Nelson Rada hit a popup that was lost in the sun behind second base and ended up being a forceout at second. Rada stole second and scored on a single by Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Theo Gillen as the AL moved ahead 2-1. Toronto Blue Jays shortstop JoJo Parker flew out to left to end Mayfield's lone inning. Mayfield threw 25 pitches, 13 for strikes and was tagged with the loss. Freddy Fermin Has 1 of 2 Chihuahuas Hits In Loss To Comets Padres catcher Freddy Fermin had one of just two hits for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, who were blanked by nine Oklahoma City Comets pitchers in an 8-0 loss. The Chihuahuas won just once in the five-game series (Saturday's game was rained out) and that came in the opener. The Chihuahuas are 41-51, including 6-11 in the second half, following their fourth loss in a row. Fermin, again in a designated hitter role during his rehab assignment as his head contusion heals, broke up the no-hit bid in the fourth inning with his single, then Carlos Rodriguez followed with his own single. That would be the last hit as the Comets used one pitcher for each inning before the All-Star break, with eight tossing hitless innings. The Chihuahuas went with three pitchers. Right-hander Sean Boyle allowed four hits over a season-high six innings on eight hits, including a homer, and no walks with two strikeouts. Right-hander Daison Acosta pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing two hits, while right-hander Alek Jacob was pounded for four runs in the eighth on four hits and a walk, striking out one. Jacob also gave up a homer. Player AB R H RBI BB K Dustin Harris 3 0 0 0 1 1 Freddy Fermin 4 0 1 0 0 2 Carlos Rodríguez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Nick Solak 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Pratto 3 0 0 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 3 0 0 0 0 1 Marcos Castañon 2 0 0 0 1 1 Clay Dungan 2 0 0 0 1 0 Anthony Vilar 3 0 0 0 0 1 Totals 28 0 2 0 3 9 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Sean Boyle 6 8 4 4 0 2 1 Daison Acosta 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Alek Jacob 1 4 4 4 1 1 1 Jake Cunningham's Bases-Loaded Triple Fuels 7-Run Missions Rally Jake Cunningham had a bases-loaded triple during a seven-run sixth inning that vaulted the Double-A San Antonio Missions to a 10-9 victory over the host Midland RockHounds. The Missions (40-47, 9-9 second half) won the final three games to split the six-game series. The last two wins were both 10-9 triumphs. Tirso Ornelas went 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored, while Kai Murphy was on base three times with a single, a double and a walk driving in a pair and scoring once and Francisco Acuna singled twice and scored twice. On the strength of a five-run fourth inning, the RockHounds had an 8-3 lead entering the top of the sixth. But that changed quickly. Wyatt Hoffman's bases-loaded grounder made it 8-4, Chris Sargent's fielder's choice trimmed it to 8-5, Ryan Jackson's RBI single pulled the Missions within 8-6 and Cunningham notched his second triple of the season on a liner to the wall in right-center that brought in three runs and put the Missions up 9-8. Cunningham scored on a balk for the final run of the seven-run outburst. Missions right-handed starter Ian Koenig walked four and allowed two hits, including a three-run homer, en route to giving up five runs (four earned) in three innings. But it was right-handers Sadrac Franco, with two scoreless innings, and Francis Pena, with a perfect ninth for his second save, who sealed the victory for the Missions. SA_0712.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson 5 1 1 1 0 0 Tirso Ornelas 3 1 3 0 2 0 Jake Cunningham 5 1 1 3 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 5 0 1 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 4 2 0 0 1 2 Francisco Acuna 5 2 2 0 0 0 Kai Murphy 4 1 2 2 1 0 Wyatt Hoffman 4 1 0 1 0 2 Brendan Durfee 2 0 2 1 0 0 Chris Sargent 2 1 0 1 0 1 Totals 39 10 12 9 4 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 3 2 5 4 4 1 1 Josh Mallitz 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 Jamie Hitt 2 3 2 1 1 1 0 Sadrac Franco 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Francis Peña 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Justin DeCriscio, Oswaldo Linares Do All The Damage For TinCaps Leadoff hitter Justin DeCriscio and No. 8 hitter Oswaldo Linares provided all of the damage, driving in all the runs in the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps' 9-1 steamrolling of the West Michigan Whitecaps. The TinCaps (36-51, 9-12 second half) won for just the second time to cap this six-game series. DeCriscio went 3-for-5, including a three-run homer, with a career-high five RBIs, while Linares was 3-for-4, including a three-run blast of his own, with a season-best four RBIs. Linares also scored three times, while Zach Evans scored twice. After using two pitchers to open the first two innings, right-hander Maikel Miralles went five strong, giving up a run on one hit and three walks with no strikeouts. Right-hander Matthew Watson, right-hander Kannon Kemp, left-hander Braian Salazar and right-hander Will Varmette each went a scoreless inning around Miralles, with Watson, Salazar and Varmette each punching out a pair. Linares got the scoring started when he lofted his second homer of the season to left-center with two outs in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. The Whitecaps scored one in the bottom of the sixth, but DeCriscio quickly reestablished order by smacking his eighth homer, a line shot that cleared the left-field fence to make it 6-1. The duo combined to put this one out of reach in the eighth as Linares singled home Kavares Tears and DeCriscio had a two-run double, with Kasen Wells being thrown out at the plate. DeCriscio's previous career high was a four-RBI game June 12. Linares has only had one other game with more than three RBIs and that came in 2022 in the Dominican Summer League when he had six. FW1_0712.mp4 FW2_0712.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 1 3 5 0 0 Ryan Wideman 5 0 1 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 5 0 1 0 0 1 Kavares Tears 3 1 0 0 2 0 Rosman Verdugo 5 0 3 0 0 0 Jack Costello 5 1 1 0 0 2 Zach Evans 4 2 1 0 0 0 Oswaldo Linares 4 3 3 4 0 0 Kasen Wells 4 1 2 0 0 1 Totals 40 9 15 9 2 4 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matthew Watson 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Kannon Kemp 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Maikel Miralles 5 1 1 1 3 0 0 Braian Salazar 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Will Varmette 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 Storm Gives Up Big Inning Late, Falls To Quakes A combination of not enough offense and allowing one big inning sent the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm to a 6-2 loss to the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Storm (45-42, 6-15) won just twice in the six-game series. Conner Westenburg had two of the Storm's five hits, while Alcides Hernandez walked twice. Jose Verdugo had a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Qrey Lott an RBI single in the seventh that tied the game, but the Quakes scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to take control. The Storm used seven pitchers to cover the nine innings before dispersing for the All-Star break. LE_0712.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Jose Verdugo 3 0 1 1 0 0 Jorge Quintana 4 0 1 0 0 2 Dawson Willis 3 0 0 0 1 2 Bradley Frye 1 0 0 0 1 0 Yimy Tovar 2 0 0 0 0 1 Alcides Hernandez 2 0 0 0 2 0 Truitt Madonna 4 0 0 0 0 3 George Bilecki 4 0 0 0 0 4 Conner Westenburg 4 2 2 0 0 0 Qrey Lott 3 0 1 1 0 1 Totals 30 2 5 2 4 13 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Luis Maracara 3 2 2 2 3 3 1 Isaiah Lowe 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Daichi Moriki 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Brandon Langley 2/3 2 4 4 2 1 1 Cal Riehl 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Sean Barnett 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-1, 1 BB Kash Mayfield: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 0 K Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 1-for-5 Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-5, 1 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-4, 3 K Alex McCoy: 1-for-5, 1 K Jesus Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Rosman Verdugo: 3-for-5 Garrett Hawkins: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View full article

When not drafting for need, as is the modus operandi for the MLB Draft, it can be tough to identify trends for a team. But for the San Diego Padres on Day 1 of the draft, there were two things that stood out: They drafted youth and left-handed bats. Will that continue on Day 2? We shall find out Sunday, when the draft resumes with Rounds 5 through 20. Saturday's first four rounds featured five Padres picks among the 135 players selected by the 30 teams. The first two were high schoolers in first-rounder Coleman Borthwick, a right-handed pitcher from Florida, and second-rounder Elliot Lascelles, a shortstop from Toronto. While it isn't hard to call prep players young, neither turns 19 until 2027. The youth comment more applies to the three college players picked. Those would be third-rounder Ryan Lynch, a right-handed starter from North Carolina, fourth-rounder Robbie Lavey, a catcher from George Washington, and fourth-round compensation pick Alex Conover, an outfielder out of Oklahoma State. All three collegians are 20 years old, with Lynch having just completed his sophomore season for the Tar Heels and the other two fresh off their junior campaigns. There always is a strategy a team executes not only in the players drafted, but in how to allocate the bonus pool. None of the five players selected sjould command an over-slot payment to either honor their commitment to college or to return for another year. Borthwick has a scholarship to Auburn waiting for him, while Lascelles is set to attend Yale. Maybe that financial strategy kicks in Sunday with some riskier moves. As a reminder, here are the slot values for the Padres' picks: First round (21st pick): $4,224,700 Second round (60th): $1,561,000 Third round (97th): $808,100 Fourth round (124th): $620,300 Fourth round (comp, 134th): $563,900 Fifth round (157th): $449,500 Sixth round (186th): $350,100 Seventh round (215th): $276,400 Eighth round (245th): $226,300 Ninth round (275th): $205,000 10th round (305th): $193,700 Players drafted in Rounds 11 through 20 have a soft cap of $150,000, with any amount over that counting against the bonus pool. That also goes for undrafted free agents, who will begin signing as soon as the final pick is made Sunday. Draft picks must sign by July 27 at 2 p.m. PT. All of the draft coverage will be carried by MLB.com, MLB.tv and MLB+ beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT. What do you think of the Padres' draft so far? Do you have a favorite pick? Is there a player they should target on Day 2? View full article

Thanks to a rainout for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, the four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates went 2-1 Saturday. The Double-A San Antonio Missions won 10-9 over Midland, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost 4-2 to West Michigan and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm cruised to an 8-2 win over Rancho Cucamonga. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres optioned RHP Jhony Brito to El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso Chihuahuas activated 2B Victor Duarte from the Development List. El Paso Chihuahuas transferred 2B Nate Mondou to the Development List. San Antonio Missions placed C Ethan Salas on the temporarily inactive list (Futures Game). San Antonio Missions activated OF Kai Murphy from the Development List. Chihuahuas-Comets Rained Out The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were rained out in their game against the host Oklahoma City Comets. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Aug. 26. Luis Verdugo's 3-Run Blast In Eighth Lifts Missions Luis Verdugo hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning as the Double-A San Antonio Missions rallied past the host Midland RockHounds 10-9. Ryan Jackson had three hits and scored three times, Braedon Karpathios (Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect) was on base four times with two hits and two walks and Francisco Acuna had a pair doubles and a walk. Karpathios and Verdugo also scored twice. While the bullpen, led by right-handers Tucker Musgrove, Padres Mission's 12 prospect, and Garrett Hawkins, Padres Mission's No. 17 prospect, pitched four innings without allowing an earned run, left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect, and right-handed reliever Bernard Jose gave up eight runs on 10 hits with four walks, with Jose giving up a homer. Hawkins, in his fourth Missions appearance after starting the season in El Paso, picked up his first save of the season after notching 10 in as many chances last year. The Missions were down 6-2 after three innings, then traded punches with the RockHounds, who were up 8-5 after five, before El Paso got two more in the sixth on a Jake Cunningham run-scoring grounder and Karpathios' RBI single. Jackson opened the eighth with his third single of the game, prompting a pitching change. After a flyout and a strikeout, Karpathios walked and Verdugo smashed his no-doubt, three-run blast down the left-field line to put the Missions up 10-8. SA_0711.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 6 0 1 1 0 2 Ryan Jackson 5 3 3 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 0 1 0 1 2 Jake Cunningham 4 1 1 1 0 1 Braedon Karpathios 3 2 2 1 2 1 Luis Verdugo 4 2 2 3 0 1 Francisco Acuna 4 1 2 1 1 1 Kai Roberts 3 1 0 0 1 2 Chris Sargent 5 0 1 1 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jagger Haynes 3 7 6 6 3 1 0 Bernard Jose 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 Tucker Musgrove 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Harry Gustin (W) 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Clay Edmondson (H) 2/3 1 1 0 1 0 0 Garrett Hawkins (S) 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Bryan Balzer Strikes Out 8, But TinCaps Outdone By Whitecaps Right-hander Bryan Balzer struck out a career-high eight and turned in the best of his three starts since being promoted to High-A Fort Wayne, but the TinCaps couldn't generate enough offense to get him a win in falling to the host West Michigan Whitecaps 4-2. The TinCaps were held hitless through five innings. Leadoff hitter Justin DeCriscio, last year's 10th-round draft choice, went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, but was the only TinCap to reach base multiple times as they were outhit by the Whitecaps 10-5. This was DeCriscio's 16th multihit game this season and put his hitting streak at eight games. Balzer, an international free agent, went five innings, allowing just a run on five hits and a walk with those eight punchouts. He struck out seven in his season debut April 2 vs. Ontario. Balzer had a combined eight strikeouts in 7⅓ innings in his first two TinCaps starts, but gave up nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and six walks, including five in his debut June 27. He was much better in his start before the All-Star break. Unfortunately, right-hander Nick Falter, given a 2-1 lead, couldn't hold the advantage, giving up a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh in his two innings. Right-hander Will Koger pitched a perfect eighth, striking out two. The TinCaps finally got their first hit of the game when Jack Costello's single led off the sixth, the first of three consecutive hits. That was followed by Kasen Wells' RBI double, DeCriscio's single and a run-scoring wild pitch that brought in Wells to put the TinCaps up 2-1. But the rally ended there as Ryan Wideman, Alex McCoy and Luke Cantwell were retired. The only other hits the TinCaps would get would be DeCriscio's eighth-inning double and McCoy's ninth-inning single. FW_0711.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 3 0 2 1 1 0 Ryan Wideman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Alex McCoy 4 0 1 0 0 2 Luke Cantwell 4 0 0 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 3 0 0 0 1 2 Kerrington Cross 4 0 0 0 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Costello 3 1 1 0 0 0 Kasen Wells 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryan Balzer 5 5 1 1 1 8 0 Nick Falter (L) 2 5 3 3 1 3 0 Will Koger 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Dylan Grego's 4-Hit Night, Tyler Schmitt's Pitching Propel Storm Dylan Grego went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, while right-handed starter Tyler Schmitt had five strong innings as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm rolled to an 8-2 triumph over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Yimy Tovar, Yoiber Ocopio, Alcides Hernandez and Qrey Lott each had two hits, with Hernandez driving in a pair, while Grego and Conner Westenburg scored twice. Schmitt and Storm pitching were on point, with the starter yielding just a run on four hits and no walks while fanning five over five innings. Right-handers Jordan Valenzuela and Jeferson Villabona each went two innings, with Valenzuela allowing just a hit and a walk with two strikeouts and Villabona four punchouts while giving up a run on two hits. Grego singled home Tovar in the top of the first, then Hernandez drove home a pair in the top of the third with a single to make it 3-0. The Quakes scored once in the bottom of the third, but the Storm added two in the fifth on Grego's solo homer, his third with the Storm and fourth of the year, and a wild pitch. Three more runs came in the eighth on Grego's RBI single, Lott's bases-loaded walk and Tovan's run-scoring infield chopper. LE_0711.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Yimy Tovar 6 1 2 1 0 1 Jorge Quintana 6 0 1 0 0 2 Dawson Willis 6 0 1 0 0 5 Yoiber Ocopio 4 1 2 0 2 2 George Bilecki 6 1 1 0 0 3 Dylan Grego 5 2 4 3 1 1 Conner Westenburg 5 2 1 0 1 2 Alcides Hernandez 4 1 2 2 1 1 Qrey Lott 2 0 2 1 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tyler Schmitt (W) 5 4 1 1 0 5 0 Jordan Valenzuela 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Jeferson Villabona 2 2 1 1 0 4 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-6, 2 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 2-for-3, 1 K Jagger Haynes: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K Lamar King Jr.: DNP Tucker Musgrove: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Truitt Madonna: DNP Alex McCoy: 1-for-4, 2 K Jesus Castro: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 0-for-3, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: 1⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, S Eric Yost: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View full article