2026 San Diego Padres Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

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.

Lascelles is a Yale commit who is the best position player prospect out of Canada in the 2026 class. At 6'2, 190, he's grown and added size and strength in the last twelve months to a profile that has started to be more heavily scrutinized by scouts. Lascelles hits left handed, with some pre-swing waggle in his stance and a slightly unorthodox look. His swing isn't the smoothest, and it doesn't look like Lascelles gets into his lower half as much as he might, potentially limiting his power output. What there's plenty of, is bat-to-ball skills. Lascelles has exceptional hand-eye coordination and almost never strikes out, a tendency he combined with a ton of discipline in his at-bats. While he may move off shortstop long term due to a fringy arm, Lascelles should stick in the dirt, possibly at second base. He's a plus runner and a threat on the base paths. If he's to add more power, there's some swing work to do, but Lascelles has the most important tool in his bag.

Lynch is a young for the class college pitcher who will turn 21 a month before the draft. He's occupied a number of roles in his two years for the Tar Heels, beginning as a reliever, before transitioning into a starting role in 2026. It's a frame with ingredients for starting. Lynch stands 6'3, 235 pounds and can maintain his velocity into his outings. There's some interesting release traits too, as Lynch gets good extension and throws from a low release height. There's interesting stuff, too. His best pitch is a power sinker with a ton of run. It typically sits 94 mph but has been up to 97 mph. Lynch frequently mixes in a slider with some depth and sweep, a curveball, and a changeup, although he relies on his sinker/slider combo. Results have been mixed as a full time starter in 2026 and there's some reliever risk here until Lynch can more consistently tap into a more diverse arsenal with regularity and effectiveness. Lynch ended 2026 with a 4.88 FIP in 98.1 innings of work, striking out 20.3% of hitters and walking 8.2%.

With the first of two fourth-round selections, the Padres selected George Washington junior catcher Robbie Lavey with the 124th overall pick. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-handed hitter had a .339/.462/.526 slash line this season with 20 extra-base hits and 37 RBIs.

Lavey is 20 years old. He does a lot of things very well, but nothing overly well. His best trait is his arm, which has been graded as 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He is a line-drive hitter who makes good contact and can drive the ball. Defensively, he might need some work, but is a positive more than a detriment behind the plate.

Another left-handed bat, the 6-foot-4, 202-pound Conover slashed .357/.476/.625 at Oklahoma State with 14 homers, 37 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. All of his tools were given a 50-grade on the 20-80 scouting scale by MLB Pipeline.

He made huge strides in cutting his chase rate from 2025 to 2026, going from 26% down to 19%. He rarely swings and misses when the ball is in the zone and does go gap-to-gap. One drawback is he does tend to hit too many groundballs. Conover also has solid speed but played mostly left field at Oklahoma State, though he did see action in center. His arm is rather average, which probably leaves him in left with first base also a possibility.

As a minor bonus, he did catch in high school.

Guyette, a rising senior, produced a 5.56 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) with the Wildcats in 2026. He tallied double-digit strikeouts in three starts last season, including 13 punchouts in a complete game victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats on May 10.

"[Guyette] went to training camp with the U.S. collegiate national team last summer," MLB Draft analyst Jim Callis said on MLB's live stream. "What stands out with him is the East-West contrast on his sinker and slider. He's got a 92-94 MPH sinker that breaks [arm side], a low 80s slider that breaks [glove side]... has also got a fading changeup that keeps guys off balance."

Guyette was an All-Big 12 Team Honorable Mention in 2025, when he operated exclusively as a reliever. As a starter in 2026, he racked up 105 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings.

The Padres selected Nu’u Contrades out of Arizona State, where he helped lead the Sun Devils to an NCAA Regional appearance.

Spending all four years with the program, Contrades steadily improved each season, culminating in a career-best .366/.434/.762 batting line with a 1.197 OPS in his fourth year. Noted for his consistency and disciplined plate approach, this past season was highlighted by a significant power jump, hitting 21 home runs after having a previous career-high of eight during his freshman year.

Originally recruited as a shortstop, Contrades also spent time playing second and third throughout his collegiate career. Already 22 years old, his defensive versatility, combined with his polished offensive approach, makes him a well-rounded prospect that has the potential to move quickly through the farm system.

The Padres selected Joe Tiroly out of Virginia with the 215th overall pick. Tiroly is an infielder who entered the draft ranked No. 147 on MLB.com Draft Prospect rankings.

Transferring to Virginia after spending his first two seasons at Ryder University, he dealt with a minor foot injury that slowed his early season, but he quickly found his rhythm. Tiroly would finish the season leading the Cavaliers with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs while slashing .319/.408/.576 with a .984 OPS.

He's hit at least 15 home runs in each of his three collegiate seasons, showcasing consistent power throughout his career. His average exit velocity and elite pull-air rate both rank among the top percentiles in college baseball, giving the Padres another intriguing power bat with significant offensive upside.

With the 245th overall pick, the Padres selected pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick from Arizona State.

After posting an ERA above 6.50 in his sophomore and junior seasons, Fitzpatrick rebounded in his senior year, finishing with a 3.12 ERA, 4-1 record, and 45 strikeouts over 31 appearances. Increasing his fastball velocity to the low-to-mid 90s, Fitzpatrick proved effective in many high-leverage situations, allowing just 11 earned runs all season.

Deploying a low arm angle, Fitzpatrick presents the Padres with a battle-tested reliever with the potential to develop into a reliable bullpen arm.

The Padres selected pitcher Benjamin Stubbs out of Troy with the 275th overall pick.

After spending his first three collegiate seasons with Division 2 Flagler College, Stubbs transferred to Troy for his senior year and slotted in as a reliable starter. He finished the season with a 6-3 record, 5.12 ERA, and led the team with 95 innings pitched, with much of his value coming from his ability to pitch deep into games.

Stubbs delivered at least six innings in eight of his appearances and has a strong chance to stick as a starting pitcher during his climb to the big leagues.

With the 305th overall pick, the Padres selected catcher Augie Lopez out of USC.

Lopez broke out in his sophomore season, leading the Trojans with 19 home runs while slashing .281/.366/.598 with a .964 OPS. Spending the second half of the season as USC’s primary designated hitter, Lopez will need to continue developing defensively to round out his profile behind the plate.

However, his power from the left side gives him a solid foundation and offers the Padres yet another intriguing backstop to develop.

The San Diego Padres select McHugh at No. 335 in the MLB draft from North Carolina State. He was not ranked in our MLB mock draft. Last season, he led the Wolf pack with 50 RBIs along with recording a team-record 23 multi-hit games.

With No. 365 pick in the MLB draft, the Padres select Evans from Miami State University. He was not on our big board and finished the 2026 season with a 10-3 record. In addition, Evans had a 3.29 ERA, recording 89 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched.

The San Diego Padres selected Smith at No. 395 from the University of Dayton. He was ranked number 62 in D1 baseball's top 100 outfielders. In 2026, Smith led the team with 38 stolen bases, slashing a .332/.502/.588. He was also named College Advantage Student-Athlete of the Week twice on April 15 and May 6.

The Padres selected Brachbill at No. 425 from High Point University. He was the Big South Pitcher of the Year in 2026 behind an 11-2 record with a 3.59 ERA. He led the team with 81 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched. He also tossed a complete game, allowing six hits in a 6-2 victory against Radford University.

The Padres took Kucherak with pick No. 445 from Northwestern University. He was not on our consensus board; however, Kucherak became the first Northwestern player to record double digit home runs in consecutive seasons since Stephen Hrustich in 2021-2022. In 2026, Kucherak was also ranked second with a .295 batting average and led the Wildcats with 27 walks along with 11 stolen bases.

With pick No. 485, the Padres selected Roblez from Oregon State University. He was not on our big board, but he was a NCBWA First-Team All-American after finishing the 2026 season with a 2-1 record and 1.50 ERA. In addition, he recorded 53 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched.

The San Diego Padres select Lord at #515 in the MLB draft from South Walton High School committed to Mississippi State. He was ranked #128 on our big board and #80 in the MLB prospect rankings. Here is a summary from our MLB draft coordinator Jamie Cameron:

"Lord is a prep pitcher out of Florida committed to Mississippi State. As you might expect from a pitcher who stands 6'8, 220 pounds, there's both present stuff and plenty of projection in the profile. Lord has easy velocity. His fastball will sit at 94 mph but can grab up to 98 mph in shorter outings. It's easy to see a world in which he's touching triple digits with consistency as he fills out and synchs up his delivery with more consistency. For breakers, he's shown a solid affinity for spin, with a firmer slider and a high-70s curveball which can blend together and become slurvy. There's also an emergent changeup in his pitch mix. Lord had TJ surgery as a HS freshman, but he's one of the most projectable right-handed prep pitchers in the class."

With pick No. 545, the Padres grabbed Quatrani from Notre Dame University. In 2026, he crushed a .376/.457/.643 batting line along with hitting 15 home runs. Quartrani also had 24 walks and 66 RBIs in 254 plate appearances.

The Padres took Downs with pick No. 575 from Cal Poly University. He was not on our consensus big board, as Downs' ERA increased from 4.09 in 2025 to 5.71 in 2026. Throughout the 2026 season, he recorded 56 strikeouts along with a 1.59 WHIP in 58.1 innings pitched.

The San Diego Padres concluded the MLB draft with Zion, a 2026 Campo Verde High School Graduate from Arizona. He has yet to commit to a college, though Zion ranks #28 in AZ outfielders according to Perfect Game. Zion also won a player of the week award in the state this past season, going 6-for-8 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored while adding a stolen base and a walk.