Steve Drumwright

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. View full article

Gio Rojas just went at No. 16 to the Rangers. He had been a potential Padres pick as some thought the top high school left-hander in the draft could fall. He didn't. Logan Schmidt, a SoCal left-hander, is next in line among prep lefties, which is what the Padres have picked the last two seasons.

A few surprises in the top 10, but nothing too unusual. Biggest one was LSU outfielder Derek Curiel going to the Pirates at No. 5 in what is likely an underslot deal for to redistribute money to their next pick or two. Only one pitcher has gone this far, which might be more surprising.

The draft starts with a chalk pick: UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky goes No. 1 overall to the Chicago White Sox. Has been the pick since last year's draft.

This could be the year that A.J. Preller takes a college guy with the Padres' top pick. Last time that happened was with his first first-round pick and Preller took Stanford righty Cal Quantrill. There could be some prep players that the Padres like -- third baseman Bo Lowrance is a popular name -- so we shall see.

The four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates split their four games as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost 10-5, the Double-A San Antonio Missions held on for an 8-7 win over Midland, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps topped West Michigan 6-3 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were walked off by Rancho Cucamonga 5-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres signed free-agent LF Dustin Harris to a minor-league contract and assigned him to El Paso Chihuahuas. Too Many Walks By Chihuahuas Pitchers Fuel Comets Despite five players having multihit games, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas gave up three first-inning runs and couldn't recover en route to a 10-5 loss to the host Oklahoma City Comets. The Chihuahuas outhit the Comets 14-13, but El Paso pitchers issued 10 walks. Padres catcher Freddy Fermin, on a rehab assignment, did not play. Nick Pratto went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, including a homer, and walked twice, while Clay Dungan, Nate Mondou, Mason McCoy and Nick Solak—the top four hitters in the lineup—each had two hits. Dungan scored twice, while McCoy had an RBI and Mondou scored once. Pratto's outburst came after an 0-for-4, four-strikeout game. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Miguel Cienfuegos allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 2⅓ innings. Right-hander Johan Moreno gave up three runs in 1⅔ innings with four punchouts. Right-handers Andrew Moore (one inning) and Logan Gillaspie (1⅓ innings) each gave up a run, while right-hander Justin Yeager yielded a pair of runs in the eighth inning. The Comets scored three in the bottom of the first off Cienfuegos, two on a Jack Suwinski double, then Pratto hit his eighth homer of the season and third since signing with the Padres a month ago Friday. The Comets pulled away with four runs in the fifth, another in the sixth and two more in the seventh after McCoy singled home a run in the top of the seventh. The Chihuahuas made it more respectable with a three-run ninth inning, with Pratto singling home a pair of runs and Blake Hunt another. EP_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Clay Dungan 4 2 2 0 1 1 Nate Mondou 4 1 2 0 0 1 Mason McCoy 5 0 2 1 0 1 Nick Solak 4 0 2 0 1 0 Nick Schnell 4 1 0 0 1 2 Nick Pratto 3 1 3 3 2 0 Blake Hunt 5 0 1 1 0 2 Romeo Sanabria 5 0 1 0 0 0 Bryce Johnson 5 0 1 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Miguel Cienfuegos 2 1/3 4 3 2 3 4 0 Johan Moreno 1 2/3 2 3 3 1 4 0 Andrew Moore 1 1 1 1 3 0 0 Logan Gillaspie 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 2 1 Justin Yeager 1 2/3 4 2 2 1 1 1 Ethan Salas Sparks Missions As Eric Yost Fans 7 Ethan Salas went 3-for-4 in his final game before heading to Philadelphia for Sunday's Futures Game, while right-handed starter Eric Yost punched out seven in five innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions held off a late flurry by the Midland RockHounds for an 8-7 triumph. Salas is Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect. Wyatt Hoffman had a homer among his two hits, two RBIs and a run scored and Jake Cunningham a pair of hits, an RBI and two runs scored for the Missions, who had a 6-1 after the top of the seventh. Cunningham and Albert Fabian drove in runs in the top of the first off former Padres prospect Henry Baez, with the RockHounds getting one back in the bottom half. Hoffman then hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot and his first since 2024, with one out in the fourth and Brendan Durfee had an RBI single in the sixth to put the Missions up 4-1. In the seventh, Kai Roberts squeezed home a run and Hoffman singled in another to boost the lead to 6-1. But old friend Leo De Vries, the Padres' top prospect last season before being traded in the Mason Miller deal with the A's, hit a three-run homer, his 11th, to bring the RockHounds within 6-4. Ornelas opened the lead up a bit with an RBI double, his 22nd, to plate Salas and scored on a wild pitch for an 8-4 advantage. De Vries capped a three-run seventh with an RBI double to trim the Missions' lead to 8-7. Yost gave up six hits and one run with four walks and those seven punchouts in five innings. Right-handers Josh Mallitz (1⅔ innings) and Ryan Och (two-thirds) each gave up three runs. Right-hander Sadrac Franco, who surrendered the double to De Vries, got his second save of the season by notching the final four outs, including a perfect ninth. SA_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Jackson 5 1 1 0 0 1 Ethan Salas 4 1 3 0 1 0 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 1 1 1 Jake Cunningham 5 2 2 1 0 1 Albert Fabian 5 0 1 1 0 1 Francisco Acuna 2 2 0 0 3 1 Kai Roberts 2 0 0 1 1 1 Wyatt Hoffman 5 1 2 2 0 1 Brendan Durfee 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Eric Yost 5 6 1 1 4 7 0 Josh Mallitz 1 2/3 2 3 3 1 1 1 Ryan Och 2/3 3 3 3 1 0 0 Sadrac Franco 1 2/3 1 0 0 1 1 0 Alex McCoy, Abraham Parra Help TinCaps Break Losing Streak At 4 Alex McCoy drove in three runs, Justin DeCriscio and Ryan Wideman each went 3-for-5 and right-handed starter Abraham Parra spun five innings of one-run ball as the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 triumph over the host West Michigan Whitecaps. Luke Cantwell hit an insurance solo homer in the seventh inning as the TinCaps, blanked twice during this miniskid, busted out for 16 hits and drew five walks. Cantwell and Kerrington Cross each had a pair of hits. Parra, filling the Friday starter role usually occupied by Kash Mayfield who is slated to pitch in Sunday's Futures Game, allowed five hits and a run over five innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Left-hander Igor Gil followed with 2⅔ innings in which he gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Clark Candiotti, in his second appearance since coming down from Double-A San Antonio, went the final 1⅓ shutout innings for his second career save, both coming this year. But it was the offense's night. The top two hitters in the lineup, DeCriscio and Wideman (Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect), got on base six times. McCoy, the No. 3 hitter and Padres Mission's No. 14 prospect, capitalized on the runners on base. McCoy's Midwest League-leading 23rd double plated DeCriscio in the first inning and followed Zach Evans' RBI single in the second with a two-run single to make it 4-0. After a Parra wild pitch sent in a run in the bottom of the fourth, singled home Kavares Tears to put the lead at 5-1. The Whitecaps scored again in the sixth, but Cantwell countered with his third homer with the TinCaps and fifth of the season. FW_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 5 1 3 0 0 2 Ryan Wideman 5 0 3 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 5 0 2 3 0 0 Kavares Tears 5 1 1 0 0 2 Rosman Verdugo 5 0 1 0 0 2 Luke Cantwell 2 2 2 1 3 0 Kasen Wells 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Costello 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 1 2 0 1 1 Carlos Rodriguez 3 1 1 1 1 2 Zach Evans 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Abraham Parra 5 5 1 1 2 2 0 Igor Gil 2 2/3 2 2 1 2 3 0 Clark Candiotti 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Kruz Schoolcraft Stellar, But Storm Can't Hold Lead Just a few days shy of the one-year anniversary of when he was drafted, left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft turned in one of the better starts of his first full season, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm watched a 4-1 lead disappear in a 5-4 walk-off loss to the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The Quakes won in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run bloop single with none out. Schoolcraft, Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect, went a season-high 5⅓ innings, allowing just one run on five hits, walking a pair and striking out three. Schoolcraft has gone at least five innings in five of his last six starts. Bradley Frye had two hits and George Bilecki drove in a pair of runs for the Storm. Bilecki's RBIs came on a fourth-inning double that put the Storm up 2-1. Frye singled home a run in the fifth and Jose Verdugo added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, giving the Storm a 4-1 lead. But the Quakes scored once in the seventh and once in the eight before walking it off in the ninth. Right-hander Rordy Mejia allowed one unearned run in 1⅔ innings, right-hander Yoesmerli Beltre one run in one inning and right-hander Carson Swilling two runs without retiring any of the four batters he faced. Swilling walked the leadoff hitter, an error on a bunt put two runners on, a hit by pitch loaded the bases before the winning single. LE_0710.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Yimy Tovar 4 0 1 0 1 2 Jorge Quintana 4 1 1 0 1 2 Bradley Frye 5 1 2 0 0 3 Yoiber Ocopio 3 1 0 0 1 2 Dawson Willis 1 0 0 0 0 1 George Bilecki 3 1 1 2 1 1 Jose Verdugo 3 0 1 1 0 0 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Dylan Grego 4 0 0 0 0 2 Qrey Lott 3 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kruz Schoolcraft 5 1/3 5 1 1 2 3 0 Rordy Mejia 1 2/3 2 1 0 1 1 0 Yoesmerli Beltre 1 2 1 1 0 3 0 Carson Swilling 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 3-for-4, 2B Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 3-for-5 Kruz Schoolcraft: 5⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Jorge Quintana: 1-for-4, 2 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: DNP Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 2 K Alex McCoy: 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI Jesus Castro: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-5, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Eric Yost: 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View full article

The weekend has arrived where the San Diego Padres will begin to add new faces to the organization through the amateur draft. In the last two years, the Padres added high school left-handers Kash Mayfield (2024) and Kruz Schoolcraft (2025). They currently rank as the No. 2 and No. 5 prospects on Padres Mission's Top 20 list. The Friars have drafted a high school player with each of their last nine first-round picks under A.J. Preller, the Padres' president of baseball operations and general manager. The draft begins with the first four rounds Saturday, then finishing Sunday with Rounds 5 through 20. TV coverage begins at 10 a.m. PT on NBC and Peacock, with it switching to MLB.com, MLB Network, MLB.tv and MLB+ at 11:30 a.m. Sunday’s telecast begins at 8:30 a.m. PT on MLB.com, MLB.tv and MLB+. This year, the Padres have the 21st selection of the first round. That will be one of five picks the Friars make on the first day. In addition to one pick in each round, they also have a compensation selection for making a qualifying offer to right-hander Dylan Cease, who ended up signing with the Toronto Blue Jays. Because of the size of the contract (seven years, $210 million) and with the Padres being a competitive-balance tax payor, they received an extra fourth-round pick (No. 134). That also gives the Padres extra money to work with in their draft pool. The Padres’ pool this year is $9,479,000. While there are slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, teams can sign players for any amount as long as it fits into their pool. Deals are often made with certain players in order to redistribute money to another player. Teams can spend up to 5% more than their draft pool without incurring a penalty. No team has ever spent more than 5% in the 14 years this rule has been in place. Last year, 20 of 30 teams surpassed their bonus pool. Here are the slot values for each of 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 the 11th through 20th rounds do not technically have a slot value, although they are soft-capped at $150,000 without counting toward the bonus pool. Any amount above $150,000 will go against the cap. That amount also applies to undrafted free agents. Draft picks have until July 27 at 2 p.m. PT to sign. Who should the Padres take with their top pick? Do they stick with a high school player or change it up with a college star? View full article

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 second of four articles on the subject. Part 1: Trades Have Depleted Majority of San Diego's Prospect Capital When you are at the bottom of the ladder in anything, the instant reaction is you must be bad at what you are doing. That is easy to understand when you look at MLB standings and see that the worst teams aren’t doing multiple things well that season. For the most part, those tend to be temporary issues that get resolved over time. But when it comes to the San Diego Padres being at the bottom of prospect rankings, it gets more complicated. The Padres are, in general, pretty decent at acquiring talent—via the draft, international free agency, undrafted free agents, or even released players—to fill their farm system. “I actually think they drafted really well,” said Keith Law, senior baseball writer at The Athletic who tracks prospects. “They just keep trading the guys. You could argue that's fine, right? If you draft a player and you get somebody really good in return, somebody who can help your major-league club, then in some ways, that is a successful draft. You at least created enough value to, I don't know if justify the pick [is the right phrase], but to make that pick kind of worthwhile. The point of the draft is to—I don't like speaking about players as assets, they're actual people—but you are trying to create value for your organization. That can be from keeping the player, that can be from trading the player.” Neither Law nor Sam Dykstra, a senior reporter at MLB Pipeline, would put the Padres at the bottom of the barrel for systems they have seen in their careers. It is just that Preller has mostly emptied the tank of quality talent. “I think most orgs have gotten smarter and I think the Padres are relatively a smart organization too,” Dykstra said. “They just get really aggressive with their trades. I think developmentally they're pretty good, they're probably middle of the pack in terms of ability to develop really good players, like they do get credit, I think at least three-quarters of the credit, for developing Leo De Vries into the No. 2 overall prospect in the baseball that he is right now and Ethan Salas certainly getting back on track. They always believed in him, they deserve credit for that.” Development is a key part to productive systems. Teams at the top of the rankings work with their prospects from rookie-level all the way up to Triple-A at becoming better players after amateur careers where winning was a bigger priority over improving skill sets. Part of that is not spinning off prospects a year or two after they were drafted or signed. “Typically, their development tracks have been, they get a guy in the system who's just like preternaturally talented and he flies through the system, the Jackson Merrills, the Fernando Tatises. A lot of the other guys, they just developed them a little bit, but they're still pretty famous from the draft or when they got signed internationally and they cash in on that,” Law said. “I do think for them to improve this going forward, obviously the most important thing is keep your prospects, but they're going to have to do a lot of the hard work on developing guys over four- or five-year periods. “If you draft and scout the way that the Padres do, where you're mostly taking high school guys up top, you have to be patient. (2025 first-rounder Kruz) Schoolcraft, they knew when they took him he wasn't going to be ready in two years, or at least they should have known when they took him, right? He could still be really good, but it's going to take some time and that's just generally not in their M.O. under Preller. So, I do think that that is a shift in philosophy from how they've operated for the last decade or so.” To Law’s point, the 19-year-old Schoolcraft, Padres Mission’s No. 5 prospect, has made 14 starts and pitched 49⅓ innings, with a 14.8% walk rate and 23.5% strikeout rate in his first full pro season since being taken with the 25th pick in last year’s draft out of Sunset High School in Portland, Ore. The previous year, left-handed starter Kash Mayfield was also taken with the 25th pick, this time out of Elk City (Okla.) High School and is now Padres Mission's No. 2 prospect. Of the 11 drafts under Preller, who took over the Padres in August 2014, nine of the 10 first-round selections were high school players. The lone exception was Stanford right-hander Cal Quantrill in 2016. (The Padres did not have a first-round pick in 2015.) Of those 10 first-rounders—all of whom did play in the majors, except for the last four who are still in the minors—only four made their MLB debut with the Padres: left-hander MacKenzie Gore (2017 draft), right-hander Ryan Weathers (2018), shortstop CJ Abrams (2019) and Merrill (2021). Right-hander Dylan Lesko (2022) and outfielder Dillon Head (2023) have not progressed beyond High-A after being traded. The Padres have the 21st pick in this year’s MLB Draft, which begins Saturday. “I think their strategy, in terms of the draft, is it becomes a running joke every year: Is there a big left-hander that they can go draft out of high school?” Dykstra said. “I think part of that is they are, because of their major-league success, always drafting in the back half of the first round, so you're not going to get access to the Roch Cholowskys and Vahn Lackeys of the world. Where do we see value that other teams don't and what do we think we can develop really well? I think you know they've kind of tapped into that. I know Kruz Schoolcraft has not had a great start to the year, but they always knew he was a long-term project. I think you're seeing some nice flashes from Kash Mayfield this year, in terms of him becoming maybe like a top-20 left-handed pitching prospect in baseball.” Another spot where the Padres have had success is finding some hidden gems after the draft. Braedon Karpathios went undrafted out of Lampeter (Pa.) High School in 2021 and then a year at Harford Community College, where he was a pitcher and an outfielder. The Friars signed him after the 2022 draft, kept him in the outfield, and he has risen up to Double-A San Antonio this season and is Padres Mission’s No. 9 prospect. Outfielder Alex McCoy is another example from last year’s draft. He wasn’t selected after his senior year at Hofstra, but then connected with the Padres and is having a really nice first full season in pro ball with the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps after debuting with the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm. McCoy is Padres Mission’s No. 14 prospect. Both came out of Maryland (Karpathios a juco and McCoy in high school), the same as Merrill when the Padres took him 27th overall in 2021 out of high school. “Their scouting group is really good ... they do a really good job at finding those small corners that may be getting overlooked by some of the other orgs or just baseball in general, and finding the talent and developing them, leaning into those guys' strengths,” Dykstra said. “You know, it's a very different story. Jackson Merrill being a prominent pick and Karpathios and McCoy being undrafted free agents, but that's how you build quality organizations, is doing it from top to bottom. I think they do a good job of scouting the country, finding the right fits for them and then developing them. It's just sometimes they're shipping them out the door pretty quickly.” International free agency is another way to build a system. The Friars struck gold with Salas in 2023 and then again with De Vries in 2024 when both were the top name each of those years, but that didn’t translate into success the next two, when they didn’t land a top-10 prospect. While rankings for the 2027 class have not come out, the Padres have already landed a commitment from 16-year-old Yoel King, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound right-hander who is already throwing 100 mph. “They're always in on the right guys in international free agency,” Law said. “I think they've been outbid a few times recently, post-Salas they haven't had a huge success there more recently. I also know that the international process, I think it's a big joke, agreeing to terms with players at age 13 or age 12. There's a whole lot more than just talent identification, whereas instead, in the draft, even if they aren't necessarily taking players I love, specifically the Padres, I can often understand it and I can see it. Like, I didn't like that guy, but they're going for upside. OK. I would not take a high school pitcher in the first round pretty much ever. But if I were going to do it, I'd probably do it a lot like the Padres do. They pick the right types of guys.” Every Padres fan knows the franchise has only been to two World Series, 1984 and 1998, losing both times in unflattering fashion. Getting back to the Fall Classic drives every front office to do whatever it can to provide the team the best chance to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in late October. Emptying out the farm system without any real postseason success has to sting for Preller. But the Padres have been in the thick of things in recent seasons. After finishing fourth or fifth in the NL West in Preller’s first five seasons, they have been in contention in five of the last six seasons entering 2026. While there hasn’t been a division title as the Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated that category, the Friars have made four postseason appearances since ending a 13-year drought in the shortened 2020 season. Of those four tries, there was only one trip to the NL Championship Series, in 2022 when the Friars fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games. They came close to another in 2024, when the Padres had a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five NL Division over the Dodgers, who won the final two games of the series and went on to win the World Series. “I think their aggression, if it had won them a title, I would never speak it over again,” Dykstra said. “They would just be like, 'Hey, flags fly forever. That works.’ It hasn't resulted in what they were always aiming for and now they're kind of having to pay the piper for those decisions.” View full article

The San Diego Padres' four full-season affiliates failed to win a game in similar fashion as the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas lost to Oklahoma City 6-3, the Double-A San Antonio Missions fell to Midland 5-2, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps lost to West Michigan 8-5 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm dropped a 6-2 decision to Rancho Cucamonga. Padres Minor-League Transactions None. Chihuahuas Can't Dig Way Out Of 6-Run Hole Against Comets Despite digging an early 6-0 hole, the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas clawed back to have the tying run on base or at the plate in two innings but lost to the host Oklahoma City Comets 6-3. Padres catcher Freddy Fermin, in the second game of his rehab assignment following a head contusion, went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI while again serving as the Chihuahuas' designated hitter. After having just seven singles the night before, the Chihuahuas had only six hits (five singles, one double), while drawing four walks. In addition to Fermin, leadoff hitter Mason McCoy and No. 9 hitter Anthony Vilar each had a single and a walk. McCoy picked up his 20th stolen base, the third time in four seasons he has swiped at least 20. He stole 25 in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons in the minors. He had 19 between El Paso and the Padres last year. Down 6-0, the Chihuahuas put up three runs in the top of the fifth. It started with a pair of strikeouts, then Clay Dungan was hit by a pitch, Vilar singled, then McCoy and Fermin each had RBI singles and Carlos Rodriguez a run-scoring double. Rodriguez has reached base in 41 of his last 42 games. After a pitching change, Nick Solak, with two runners on, grounded out. The Chihuahuas also started the top of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, then loaded the bases on Bryce Johnson's single and stolen base and walks to Dungan and Vilar, but McCoy flew out to end the threat. Chihuahuas right-handed starter Evan Fitterer allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks with two walks in five innings. Right-hander Matt Flynn pitched two scoreless innings and right-hander Ethan Routzahn a scoreless eighth. EP_0709.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Mason McCoy 4 1 1 1 1 0 Freddy Fermin 4 0 1 1 1 0 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 1 1 0 1 Nick Solak 4 0 0 0 0 2 Marcos Castanon 4 0 1 0 0 2 Nick Pratto 4 0 0 0 0 4 Bryce Johnson 4 0 1 0 0 3 Clay Dungan 2 1 0 0 1 0 Anthony Vilar 3 1 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Evan Fitterer 5 5 6 4 3 2 0 Michael Flynn 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Ethan Routzahn 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Early Homers Subdue Missions In Loss To RockHounds A three-run second inning that featured a pair of homers was enough to upend the Double-A San Antonio Missions, who dropped a 5-2 decision to the Midland RockHounds. Missions right-handed starter Andrew Thurman, back in affiliated ball after stepping away from the game entirely following the 2017 season, went a season-high five innings, but gave up four runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. The 34-year-old gave up an RBI double in the first inning, then back-to-back homers to begin a three-run second inning after the Missions had tied it. Thurman did finish by retiring 12 of the final 15 batters he faced. Jake Cunningham had two of the Missions' eight hits. Albert Fabian tripled in Cunningham in the second inning and Tirso Ornelas scored on a wild pitch in the fourth as Ryan Jackson walked. The Missions did put up a threat in the ninth as, with two outs, Wyatt Hoffman and Luis Verdugo singled, but Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, grounded to shortstop Leo De Vries to end it. SA_0709.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Luis Verdugo 4 0 1 0 1 1 Francisco Acuna 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ethan Salas 5 0 1 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 4 1 1 0 0 2 Jake Cunningham 4 1 2 0 0 1 Braedon Karpathios 3 0 1 0 1 2 Ryan Jackson 3 0 0 0 1 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 1 0 1 Kai Roberts 3 0 0 0 1 1 Wyatt Hoffman 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Andrew Thurman 5 7 4 4 2 2 2 Francis Pena 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 Clay Edmondson 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Late Rally Too Little Too Late For TinCaps Seven runs over the first three innings, including five in the second, spelled doom for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps in an 8-5 setback to the host West Michigan Whitecaps. Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect and the minors' stolen-base leader with 50, went 2-for-5, including a double, with an RBI and a run scored. Wideman has a hit in 11 of 13 games since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore. This was his third multihit game with the TinCaps. Eight of the nine TinCaps batters had at least one hit and five had RBIs. TinCaps right-handed starter Carson Montgomery was lit up for seven runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Left-hander Braian Salazar struck out three and allowed a run in two innings, while right-hander Will Varmette pitched two scoreless innings. The TinCaps were held to a fifth-inning Wideman RBI double before the offense really came to life late. The scored twice with two outs in the eighth on Rosman Verdugo's RBI triple and Jack Costello singling home Verdugo. In the ninth, Kasen Wells was hit by a pitch with one out and Wideman singled, with both runners moving up on a wild pitch. Justin DeCriscio hit a sacrifice fly to left and Kerrington Cross singled home Wideman. But that threat ended as Kavares Tears struck out to end the game. FW_0709.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 5 1 2 1 0 1 Justin DeCriscio 4 1 1 1 1 2 Kerrington Cross 5 0 1 1 0 2 Kavares Tears 5 0 1 0 0 1 Rosman Verdugo 3 1 1 1 1 2 Jack Costello 4 0 1 1 0 1 Carlos Rodriguez 4 0 1 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 4 1 0 0 0 0 Kasen Wells 3 1 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carson Montgomery 4 7 7 7 3 4 1 Braian Salazar 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 Will Varmette 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 Storm Unable To Overcome Early Quakes Surge Dawson Willis had two hits and scored a run, while Bradley Frye drove in a pair, but the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm were beaten by the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-2. Storm right-hander Lan-Hong Su had a third straight rocky start since being promoted from the Arizona Complex League. Su, a 19-year-old key international signing last year, gave up four runs on five hits and one walk with no strikeouts in two-plus innings. He has given up four runs in each of his three Storm starts over 7⅔ innings for a 14.09 ERA. Frye singled home Willis in the top of the first, then the Quakes scored three in the second and one in the third, then added another in the fifth for a 5-1 lead. In the sixth, the Storm pulled within 5-2 as Qrey Lott had an infield single, Yimy Tovar walked and both runners advanced on Jose Verdugo's sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Willis walked to load the bases and Frye drew a free pass to force in a run. But the next two batters were retired to end the inning. The Storm got two runners on in each of the seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to chip into the Quakes' advantage. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yimy Tovar 4 0 1 0 1 1 Jose Verdugo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Dawson Willis 2 1 2 0 1 0 Bradley Frye 2 0 1 2 1 1 Truitt Madonna 3 0 0 0 1 3 Dylan Grego 4 0 0 0 0 3 Conner Westenburg 4 0 0 0 0 1 Alcides Hernandez 3 0 1 0 1 2 Qrey Lott 3 1 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Lan-Hong Su 2 5 4 4 1 0 1 Daichi Moriki 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 Zack Qin 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 Isaiah Lowe 2 2 1 1 0 2 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-5, 1 K Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 2-for-5, 2B, 1 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: DNP Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-3, 2 K Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: DNP Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-3, 3 K Alex McCoy: DNP Jesus Castro: DNP Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-3, 3B, 2 K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View full article

Could A.J. Preller make another blockbuster move involving Mason Miller at this year's trade deadline? Other front offices certainly think it is a possibility for the San Diego Padres, as MLB.com's Mark Feinsand laid out in this article. Preller, the Padres' president of baseball operations and general manager, made a huge splash at last year's deadline when he sent four prospects, led by shortstop Leo De Vries (at the time MLB Pipeline's No. 3 prospect in baseball), to the A's for Miller and left-handed starter JP Sears. In addition to his devastating repertoire as a closer, Miller is also attractive as he still has three more years of club control. That would benefit the Padres in terms of what they would get back from a team if Preller decides to sell. The Padres entered play Thursday at 46-46 and 4½ games out of the third and final NL wild-card spot. “They have to consider it if they keep playing like this,” an NL executive said. “They won’t get De Vries-type value back for him, but they’ll still do well if they trade him.” “I would think he would be capable of two Top 100 [players] or a Top 100 and another two players that are organizational Top 10s or so,” an NL executive said. “But I’m not sure they would feel it would be worth it.” 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 first of four articles on the subject. There is no question about it. The San Diego Padres enter this weekend’s draft with the worst minor-league system in baseball. So says Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic and ESPN. That is the price the Padres have paid, and more specifically president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, to keep the major-league roster in contender status. The churn of acquiring prospects either through the draft or international free agency, developing said prospects, then shipping out those prospects to add talent to the major-league roster has taken a significant toll on the organization. No trade deadline took a bigger bite out of the system than 2025, when Preller made five deals on deadline day that reaped seven players, but shipped 14 to other franchises. Basically, they traded half a full minor-league affiliate, including one of the top prospects in all of baseball, for those seven players, all but one added to the major-league roster. The exiting talent originally came to the organization from all avenues. Six were their own draft picks (one from 2021, five from 2024), three were international free agents (2017, 2019, 2024), two were undrafted free agents (2022, 2024), one was a minor-league free agent (2024), one was a Rule 5 pick (2023), and another arrived in a trade (2024). The headliner in that exit party, of course, was shortstop Leo De Vries, who was a top-five prospect in all of baseball at the time the Padres shipped him to the A’s for all-world closer Mason Miller and left-handed starter JP Sears. The cost for outfielder Ramon Laureano and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn was five draft picks from 2024, including second-round left-hander Boston Bateman, third-round shortstop Cobb Hightower and fourth-round right-hander Tyson Neighbors. But it really left the cupboard pretty bare. And as we approach the 2026 trade deadline of Aug. 3, the Friars are on the outside of the playoff picture and need a roster boost. So the big question is: What do the Padres have left to deal and is it enough to acquire anything of consequence? The biggest assets the Friars have are Padres Mission’s No. 1 and No. 2 prospects, catcher Ethan Salas and left-handed starter Kash Mayfield. Right-hander Miguel Mendez, our No. 3 prospect, and center fielder Ryan Wideman, No. 4 in our rankings, are also certain to be hot names bandied about in front-office discussions. Any deals the Padres make this year in order to contend will make an already-barren system more so. “It's the thinnest it's been probably since after A.J. Preller's first year, when he traded Trea Turner and a bunch of other prospects to try to build a win-now roster and that didn't work,” said Keith Law, senior baseball writer at The Athletic who analyzes prospects across the sport. “And then he went about it kind of his way after that, I think, in terms of trying to really lean heavily into scouting, player development, building a huge stable of prospects and then using those guys later on to build a roster and to trade to try to supplement that roster. “But I think we sort of now have reached the other end of that cycle, right? He's gone all the way sort of up the mountain and now we've come back down the other side, where it's Ethan Salas, and maybe an interesting pitcher or two. And I do like Ty Harvey, so I don't want to be too dismissive, but it's kind of Ethan Salas and not a lot else.” No one ever wants to admit they are the worst at anything from a professional point of view, but sometimes simple analysis tells the story. “Anybody with the Padres will tell you they don't view it that way (as the worst system),” said Sam Dykstra, a senior reporter at MLB Pipeline. “They always think that the next crop of good Padres players or good next trade pieces are in the organization, people just haven't seen it yet. We're starting to see a little bit of that spring through this year, but it's still something that, I mean, you trade away a Leo De Vries, you trade away as many other just depth pieces that they have in recent years and I would struggle to say it's a deep system in any way. Now, again, there are still some interesting pieces here, there have been some nice breakouts this year, some nice development stories. But as far as overall health of the farm system, it's still pretty tough.” That will make Preller's job more difficult as the trade deadline approaches if the Padres are buyers. View full article

Wednesday saw the four full-season San Diego Padres affiliates go 1-3. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas were bounced by Oklahoma City 9-2, the Double-A San Antonio Missions dropped an 8-4 decision to Midland, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps were hammered by West Michigan 14-1 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm prevailed in 10 innings over Rancho Cucamonga 6-4. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres selected the contract of 3B Luis Rengifo from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres sent C Freddy Fermin on a rehab assignment to El Paso Chihuahuas. Chihuahuas Held To Singles As Comets Blast 4 Homers Left-handed starter Jackson Wolf gave up four runs in the first three innings and the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas managed seven singles in a 9-2 loss to the Oklahoma City Comets. Padres catcher Freddy Fermin, who went on the 10-day injured list Friday with a head contusion, began a rehab assignment. Serving as the designated hitter, Fermin went 1-for-4 with a fifth-inning RBI single to shortstop. Wolf's four runs came on eight hits and a walk in five innings while striking out five. He did cough up a pair of homers, one an inside-the-parker. Right-hander Daison Acosta, in his second Chihuahuas appearance since coming off the 60-day injured list, was tagged for four runs on four hits and three walks in 1⅔ innings, while right-hander Ty Adcock gave up a solo homer in one inning while striking out three. The Comets hit four homers. Mason McCoy had two of the Chihuahuas' seven singles, the only batter with multiple hits. Clay Dungan also reached base twice with a single and a walk. All of the Chihuahuas' hits came off Comets left-handed starter Cole Irvin, who went six innings. EP_0708.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Mason McCoy 5 0 2 0 0 1 Freddy Fermin 4 0 1 1 0 0 Carlos Rodríguez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Marcos Castañon 4 0 1 0 0 2 Will Wagner 4 0 0 0 0 2 Blake Hunt 3 1 0 0 1 1 Nick Schnell 4 0 1 0 0 0 Romeo Sanabria 4 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Dungan 3 1 1 0 1 1 Totals 35 2 7 1 2 7 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jackson Wolf 5 8 4 4 1 5 2 Daison Acosta 1 2/3 4 4 4 3 0 1 Ty Adcock 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 3 1 Totals 8 13 9 9 5 8 4 Four Homers Not Enough As Missions Succumb To RockHounds Tirso Ornelas hit his team-leading 12th homer as one of four solo homers, but the Double-A San Antonio Missions didn't notch another hit in falling to the Midland RockHounds 8-4. The Missions also hit four homers in a game this year on May 19. Braedon Karpathios, Padres Mission's No. 9 prospect, hit his eighth homer, Carson Tucker his first and Kai Roberts his third for the Missions and second in three games. Tucker's homer was his first in affiliated ball since 2023 after spending 2024 and 2025 in independent ball. He has hit exactly one homer in each of his four seasons with an affiliate. Ornelas went deep in the first inning and Karpathios in the second for a 2-0 lead before the RockHounds tied it in the bottom of the second. Tucker and Roberts then went back-to-back with one out in the fourth to go up 4-2. The RockHounds clawed one back in the bottom of the fourth, then went ahead with two in the sixth and added three more in the seventh. Missions right-handed starter Victor Lizarraga lasted three innings and gave up three runs on six hits, including a homer, with three walks and three strikeouts. Left-hander Harry Gustin covered the next 2⅔ innings, allowing two runs, while right-hander Garrett Hawkins, Padres Mission's No. 17 prospect, surrendered three runs in 1⅓ innings. Right-hand Ryan Och, who spent a good chunk of the season on the injured list, made his first appearance at Double-A with a scoreless eighth inning. He pitched in 45 games for the Missions last year and then 10 games at High-A Fort Wayne this year. SA_0708.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Tucker 3 1 1 1 1 0 Kai Roberts 4 1 1 1 0 2 Tirso Ornelas 3 1 1 1 1 0 Jake Cunningham 2 0 0 0 2 1 Braedon Karpathios 4 1 1 1 0 0 Francisco Acuna 4 0 0 0 0 1 Albert Fabian 4 0 0 0 0 0 Luis Verdugo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Brendan Durfee 3 0 0 0 0 3 Totals 31 4 4 4 4 8 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Victor Lizarraga 3 6 3 3 3 3 1 Harry Gustin 2 2/3 3 2 2 0 3 0 Garrett Hawkins 1 1/3 3 3 3 1 3 0 Ryan Och 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 8 12 8 8 5 9 1 TinCaps Halt Scoreless Streak, Issue 11 Walks In Loss Jack Costello snapped the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps' scoreless streak at 22 innings with a solo homer, but that would be the extent of their scoring in an 11-1 setback to the West Michigan Whitecaps. The TinCaps produced just three hits and lost for the third game in a row, having been shut out in the previous two, and for the eighth time in 10 games. TinCaps right-handed starter Winyer Chourio, Padres Mission's No. 20 prospect, had a rough go of it for the second straight time in three starts since being promoted from Low-A Lake Elsinore. The 22-year-old made it through just 2⅔ innings, allowing five runs on four hits, including a homer, and four walks while striking out two. Left-hander Javier Chacon followed by giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks with one punchout in 2⅓ innings, while right-handed Will Koger surrendered three runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in two innings. Right-hander Nick Falter pitched a scoreless eighth, but issued the 11th walk of the day for the TinCaps. West Michigan opened the scoring with five runs in the third inning before Costello finally put the TinCaps on the board with his 10th homer of the season with one out in the top of the fourth. The Whitecaps came back with two more in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth for an 11-1 advantage. FW_0708.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Justin DeCriscio 3 0 1 0 1 0 Kasen Wells 4 0 1 0 0 0 Kerrington Cross 4 0 0 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Costello 4 1 1 1 0 2 Lamar King Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 2 Luke Cantwell 3 0 0 0 0 1 Oswaldo Linares 3 0 0 0 0 2 Zach Evans 2 0 0 0 1 1 Totals 31 1 3 1 2 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Winyer Chourio 2 2/3 4 5 5 4 2 1 Javier Chacon 2 1/3 4 6 3 3 1 2 Will Koger 2 3 3 3 3 2 0 Nick Falter 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Totals 8 11 14 11 11 5 3 Qrey Lott Makes A Difference As Storm Win In 10 Qrey Lott doubled home the go-ahead run and scored in the top of the 10th inning to help the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm overcome a blown save for a 6-4 victory over the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Lott capped a 3-for-3 day with his second RBI double of the game, a one-out chopper over the third baseman that scored zombie runner George Bilecki as Lott raced into second. After a walk to Yimy Tovar, Jorge Quintana hit a grounder to the second baseman, who threw to the shortstop for the forceout as Lott took third. But Tovar became tangled with the shortstop and Lott scooted home without a throw. Storm right-handed starter Carlos Medina matched his season high with five innings, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and four punchouts. Right-hander Jeferson Villabona, who had allowed one run in 9⅓ innings in his first four Storm appearances, gave up a pair of runs in the sixth inning as the Quakes pulled within 4-3. Right-hander Brandon Langley pitched a perfect seventh and right-hander Jordan Valenzuela a scoreless eighth. Right-hander Sean Barnett came on for the save in the ninth, but hit a batter, had two wild pitches and gave up a sacrifice fly to tie the game. He did pick up the win and closed out the bottom of the 10th by retiring all three batters. Lott also had an RBI double in the third inning and Jose Verdugo a run-scoring triple in the fourth to make it 2-0. Tovar also had an RBI triple in the fifth and Quintana drove in a run with a single to put the Storm up 4-1. LE_0708.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Yimy Tovar 4 1 1 1 1 1 Jorge Quintana 5 0 1 2 0 2 Dawson Willis 5 0 0 0 0 2 Bradley Frye 4 0 1 0 0 1 Yoiber Ocopio 3 1 0 0 1 2 Jose Verdugo 4 0 1 1 0 2 George Bilecki 4 1 0 0 0 1 Conner Westenburg 3 1 0 0 1 0 Qrey Lott 3 2 3 2 0 0 Totals 35 6 7 6 3 11 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Carlos Medina 5 4 1 1 0 4 0 Jeferson Villabona 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 Brandon Langley 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jordan Valenzuela 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Sean Barnett 2 0 1 1 0 3 0 Totals 10 7 4 4 0 8 1 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: DNP Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: DNP Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 1-for-5, 3 SB, 2 K Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 1-for-4, HR Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-4, 2 K Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: DNP Alex McCoy: 0-for-4, 2 K Jesus Castro: DNP Rosman Verdugo: DNP Garrett Hawkins: 1⅓ IP, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K Eric Yost: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: 2⅔ IP, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K View full article

San Diego Padres full-season affiliates began a new week by going 1-3. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas posted the only win, beating Oklahoma City 8-5, while the Double-A San Antonio Missions were pounded by Midland 11-1, the Fort Wayne TinCaps blanked by West Michigan 3-0 and the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm falling to Rancho Cucamonga 6-2. Padres Minor-League Transactions San Diego Padres recalled RHP Jhony Brito from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres optioned RHP Alek Jacob to El Paso Chihuahuas. RHP Johan Moreno assigned to El Paso Chihuahuas from San Antonio Missions. RHP Eric Yost assigned to San Antonio Missions from El Paso Chihuahuas. El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Logan Gillaspie from the 7-day injured list. El Paso Chihuahuas released RHP Triston McKenzie. RHP Landry Jurecka assigned to ACL Padres from San Antonio Missions. RHP Clark Candiotti assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from San Antonio Missions. LHP Jamie Hitt assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps. LHP Ryan Och assigned to San Antonio Missions from Fort Wayne TinCaps. Fort Wayne TinCaps activated RHP Kannon Kemp from the 60-day injured list. Fort Wayne TinCaps released LHP C.J. Widger. All Chihuahuas Contribute Offensively, Win On 7-Run Second Inning Marcos Castanon had two hits and two RBIs, including being one of six players to drive in a run during a seven-run second inning that vaulted the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas to an 8-5 victory over the Oklahoma City Comets. The seven runs equaled the most the Chihuahuas have scored in any inning this year. Padres right-handed starter Matt Waldron worked three hitless innings with no walks and three strikeouts in his fifth rehab outing as he comes back from a right brachialis muscle injury. His rehab assignment ends next week, with his last start coming up Sunday. Waldron has allowed four runs in 15 innings, with five walks and 10 strikeouts. Four of those walks came in one game. Waldron threw just 30 pitches, including 20 strikes. Luis Rengifo also had two hits, a walk, an RBI and a run scored as the Chihuahuas got hits from seven of their nine batters and seven also scored a run. Mason McCoy scored twice, but didn't have a hit as he walked twice. McCoy and Carlos Rodriguez each had two of the Chihuahuas' season-high eight stolen bases. In the big second inning, in which the Chihuahuas sent 13 batters to the plate, Bryce Johnson, Nick Pratto and Rengifo had consecutive RBI singles, then Castanon had his two-run single to make it 5-0. Will Wagner added his own run-scoring single and Carlos Rodriguez capped the rally with a bases-loaded walk to put the Chihuahuas up 7-0. Nick Solak added a run-scoring double in the third inning. EP_0707.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Luis Rengifo 4 1 2 1 1 1 Mason McCoy 3 2 0 0 2 1 Nick Solak 5 0 1 1 0 2 Marcos Castañon 5 1 2 2 0 1 Will Wagner 4 0 1 1 1 0 Blake Hunt 3 1 1 0 2 0 Carlos Rodríguez 4 1 1 1 1 0 Bryce Johnson 4 1 1 1 1 1 Nick Pratto 5 1 1 1 0 1 Totals 37 8 10 8 8 7 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Matt Waldron 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Miguel Cienfuegos 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Logan Gillaspie 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Justin Yeager 2 1 1 1 2 1 0 Ethan Routzahn 1/3 0 4 4 4 0 0 Misael Tamarez 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Missions Hammered By RockHounds Right-handed starter Ian Koenig was roughed up for five runs in two innings as the Double-A San Antonio Missions were rocked by the Midland RockHounds 11-1. Former Padres prospect Leo De Vries went 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored for the RockHounds. Carson Tucker had two of the seven hits by the Missions. The lone run came in the sixth inning as Ethan Salas, Padres Mission's No. 1 prospect, singled and went to third on a double by Tucker. After a lineout, Jake Cunningham sent Salas home with a sacrifice fly to right field. Koenig gave up those five runs on seven hits with no walks and one strikeout. Right-hander Bernard Jose walked four and gave up two runs over the next 2⅔ innings with three strikeouts, while right-hander Sadrac Franco allowed three runs on four hits in one inning. Right-hander Clay Edmondson surrendered a run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in 1⅓ innings. Catcher Chris Sargent pitched a perfect ninth. SA_0707.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ethan Salas 5 1 1 0 0 0 Carson Tucker 4 0 2 0 0 1 Tirso Ornelas 3 0 1 0 0 0 Wyatt Hoffman 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jake Cunningham 3 0 1 1 0 0 Braedon Karpathios 3 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Jackson 4 0 0 0 0 2 Albert Fabian 4 0 1 0 0 1 Francisco Acuna 3 0 0 0 1 2 Luis Verdugo 4 0 1 0 0 0 Totals 33 1 7 1 2 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ian Koenig 2 7 5 5 0 1 0 Bernard Jose 2 2/3 2 2 2 4 3 0 Sadrac Franco 1 4 3 3 0 2 0 Clay Edmondson 1 1/3 2 1 1 2 1 0 Chris Sargent 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 TinCaps Blanked Again, Held To 4 Hits By Whitecaps After putting up 13 runs in a 14-inning victory Saturday, including scoring in the final five innings, the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps turned in their second straight scoreless performance as the host West Michigan Whitecaps prevailed 3-0. The TinCaps had just four hits, including two by Justin DeCriscio, as they were shut out for the eighth time this year. This was the 14th multihit game for DeCriscio since being promoted May 12 and he has reached base in 15 of his last 17 games. Right-handed starter Kannon Kemp, the Padres' eighth-round draft choice in 2023, came off the 60-day injured list following an oblique injury in spring training and made his TinCaps debut. The 21-year-old went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Right-hander Clark Candiotti, just demoted from Double-A San Antonio, pitched a scoreless fourth inning and right-hander Matthew Watson, traditionally a starter, pitched the final four innings, allowing a run on three hits with a pair of walks and three punchouts. FW_0707.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Ryan Wideman 4 0 0 0 0 2 Justin DeCriscio 4 0 2 0 0 0 Alex McCoy 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kavares Tears 3 0 0 0 0 2 Rosman Verdugo 3 0 1 0 0 1 Lamar King Jr. 2 0 0 0 0 0 Carlos Rodriguez 3 0 1 0 0 0 Jack Costello 3 0 0 0 0 0 Zach Evans 3 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 0 4 0 0 6 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kannon Kemp 3 2 2 2 2 2 0 Clark Candiotti 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Matthew Watson 4 3 1 1 2 3 0 Jorge Quintana Has 3 Hits, But Storm Otherwise Silenced Jorge Quintana had three hits, but right-handed starter Jesus Castro gave up a four-run second inning as the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm fell to the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-2. Quintana, Padres Mission's No. 6 prospect, has started July off strong, going 6-for-13 in four games, including a double Tuesday to go along with a triple and homer. He also had two three-hit games in May. Unfortunately, that was half of the Storm's hits on this day. https://padresmission.com/san-diego-padres-top-prospect-rankings/jorge-quintana-r133/ Castro lasted five innings and gave up five runs on eight hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Carson Swilling went two scoreless innings with three punchouts and left-hander Cal Riehl pitched the eighth, allowing a run. The Storm's runs came on a double steal in the second, with Jose Verdugo swiping home for his 24th steal this year, and the eighth, with Quintana doubling home Dylan Grego. LE_0707.mp4 Player AB R H RBI BB K Bradley Frye 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jorge Quintana 4 0 3 1 0 0 Dawson Willis 3 0 1 0 1 1 Yoiber Ocopio 3 0 0 0 1 1 George Bilecki 3 0 0 0 0 2 Yimy Tovar 1 0 0 0 0 1 Qrey Lott 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jose Verdugo 4 1 1 0 0 0 Truitt Madonna 2 0 0 0 2 1 Conner Westenburg 4 0 0 0 0 1 Dylan Grego 4 1 1 0 0 1 Totals 32 2 6 1 4 10 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jesus A. Castro 5 8 5 5 0 3 0 Carson Swilling 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Cal Riehl 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 Padres Mission's Top 20 Prospect Performance Ethan Salas: 1-for-5 Kash Mayfield: DNP Miguel Mendez: DNP Ryan Wideman: 0-for-4, 2 K Kruz Schoolcraft: DNP Jorge Quintana: 3-for-4, 2B Ty Harvey: On injured list Kale Fountain: Injured, out for season Braedon Karpathios: 0-for-3 Jagger Haynes: DNP Lamar King Jr.: 0-for-2 Tucker Musgrove: DNP Truitt Madonna: 0-for-2, K Alex McCoy: 0-for-4, K Jesus Castro: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 K Rosman Verdugo: 1-for-3, K Garrett Hawkins: DNP Eric Yost: DNP Michael Salina: DNP Winyer Chourio: DNP View full article

The long road back for Jhony Brito has officially taken him to Petco Park. The Padres called up the right-hander from Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday and optioned right-hander Alek Jacob back to Triple-A. Brito, one of the five players the Padres acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade in 2024, is back in the majors with the Friars for the first time since that 2024 season. Brito began the 2025 season by having an internal brace procedure on his right elbow and flexor tendon surgery that April. He began a rehab assignment in early May and pitched well in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list and being assigned to El Paso. In four starts for the Chihuahuas, Brito has a 0.96 ERA in 18⅔ innings with nine walks and 19 strikeouts. Brito is expected to make his season debut in a relief role Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, following starter German Marquez. Jacob was called up Friday and appeared in just one game, tossing a much-needed three innings in Monday's series-opening 8-0 loss to the D'backs. View full rumor

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!): Jagger Haynes, LHP, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: 3-3, 4.10 ERA, 16 games (all starts) 85⅔ IP, 69 H, 41 R, 39 ER, 37 BB, 76 K, .223 opponent average The last time the 23-year-old Missions left-hander made two starts in the same week, the second did not go as well as the first, as he followed up six shutout innings with four runs in 4⅔ innings in late May against Corpus Christi. It was a similar scenario to his second and third starts of the season vs. Midland. But last week, facing the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Tuesday and Sunday, Padres Mission's No. 10 prospect had a slightly better performance in the second game. In his five innings Sunday, the 2020 fifth-round draft choice gave up just one run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts in a 1-0 loss (the only run scored in the first inning). That came after he matched his season high with 6⅔ innings, two runs, four hits, four walks and four strikeouts. While his walk rate is better this season, down to 10.3% after being at 14% last year at San Antonio, it is still an area to be worked on. He had seven in those two games last week. He did go 6⅔ in the two previous starts to Sunday, the third time this year of that distance to go with four more of exactly six innings. Jamie Hitt, LHP, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: 1-5, 5.13, 14 games (13 starts), 59⅔ IP, 65 H, 43 R, 34 ER, 24 BB, 54 K, .270 opponent average While some of the numbers don't look fantastic, you have to take into consideration that Hitt, who turns 24 Wednesday, is in his first pro season after being an eighth-round draft choice out of Oklahoma and doing it at the High-A level with the TinCaps. That says a bit about the makeup Hitt has and also what the Friars think of him. To wit, Hitt has turned in four quality starts this season, including two in his last three outings. The latest one came Sunday as Hitt went six innings, gave up a pair of runs on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Unfortunately, it came in a 5-0 loss to the Great Lakes Loons. Hitt improved his draft stock last year by showing out in a bullpen role at Oklahoma, but he has more time as a starter in college, first at Texas Tech then for three years with the Sooners. Hitt's season actually started at Low-A Lake Elsinore with a single relief appearance before being promoted to Fort Wayne and inserted into the rotation since. He doesn't have overpowering stuff, having peaked at 95 mph on his four-seamer in college, but he does have decent control. Those two items have led to a walk rate of 8.8% and a strikeout rate of 19.8% this year. He did strike out a season-high eight in his fourth game of the season and also has three games (out of 14) with no walks. Kavares Tears, OF, High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps Season stats: .241/.349/.518, 59 games, 26 R, 13 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 32 BB, 78 K, 1 SB, 3 CS The left-handed slugger only played in four of the six games last week, but that was good enough to put up some gaudy numbers. The 23-year-old had an OPS of 1.224 with three of his five hits going for homers. He drove in eight runs and also walked three times. As mentioned in this article when Tears earned Padres Mission's Minor-League Hitter of the Month for June, the 2024 fourth-round pick out of Tennessee has been on a roll since mid-May. Tears' two-homer game Wednesday against the Great Lakes Loons was just his second in his two pro years after having one in August for the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm. Tears appears to have figured something out since mid-May, with his slash line at .275/.355/.615 since. Even that hot stretch pulled his career slash line up to .232/.330/.429. He has 12 homers in 59 games so far this year after hitting 13 in 107 contests with the Storm. Conner Westenburg, OF, Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm Season stats: .274/.364/.387, 74 games, 47 R, 15 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 20 BB, 68 K, 34 SB, 5 CS After a rough June, the 22-year-old outfielder began July with a bang, putting up a .429/.500/.619 that included three games with multiple hits, including three in last week's series opener against the Stockton Ports. He also had a season-high five-RBI game Saturday after not having a multi-RBI day since May 24. This is Westenburg's first pro season after signing as an undrafted free agent out of McNeese State. Speed is also a big part of Westenburg's game. He had four steals last week to bring his season total up to 34 in 39 attempts. That number is second only to Ryan Wideman, Padres Mission's No. 4 prospect who leads the minors with 50 steals (43 with the Storm), in the Padres' system. He had 20 and 27 steals in his final two seasons at McNeese State. That speed helps him to get out of slumps like the one he experienced in June, when he had a .194/.325/.254 slash line, yet still swiped 11 bases, his second month with double-digit steals. Westenburg had 14 in April as he slashed .333/.403/.449. Albert Fabian, OF, Double-A San Antonio Missions Season stats: .244/.308/.389, 58 games, 16 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 19 BB, 37 K, 3 SB, 0 CS The 24-year-old left-handed hitter led the Padres' full-season affiliates in batting average as part of a .438/.444/.875 slash line last week. His big five games began with a 3-for-4 performance in which he homered and doubled, missing the triple for the cycle. He drove in four in that game against Amarillo and had seven in the series. Fabian has been in the Padres' system since signing as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. He had a chance to leave the organization in the offseason, yet chose to return. He has been pretty consistent over the last five seasons, never going lower than a .242 average, nor higher than .258, while producing a career slash line of .245/.325/.415. Fabian has six homers this year, which is one off his total from all of 2025, although he spent time on the 60-day injured list. His career best is 16 in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. View full article