3 big themes of Padres' fascinating farm system (2024)

This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. Sam Dykstra filled in for this edition. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s a familiar story for San Diego fans.

But under the surface of such moves is the organization’s self belief that it can scout and develop the next wave of prospects and keep the farm system’s wheels turning.

“In those years, you look up and a year or two later, we still have a very competitive team and a really good farm system and players that are coming up -- good young players that we feel good about,” said general manager A.J. Preller. “It comes down to having a scouting group that gives us the ability to make those decisions.”

Here’s a look at some of themes of the Padres’ farm system ahead of MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 re-rank on Tuesday:

The Big Two
While San Diego moved Robby Snelling and Dylan Lesko at the Deadline, it held on to its two prospects who will remain in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 moving forward -- catcher Ethan Salas (No. 5 overall prospect, Padres’ No. 1) and shortstop Leodalis De Vries (No. 76 overall, Padres’ No. 2).

The two were considered top international prospects and are playing full-season ball before their 19th birthdays. Salas has had a rough offensive season at High-A Fort Wayne, but he’s still a gifted defender at a demanding position. De Vries has warmed up the longer he’s played for Single-A Lake Elsinore and was the California League Player of the Month in July at just 17 years old.

It would have taken a blockbuster for either to be traded, and since that never materialized, they remain the cornerstones of the Padres’ farm.

“We’ve had some really good ones here over the last few years with [Fernando] Tatis [Jr.], obviously Jackson [Merrill], CJ [Abrams], James Wood, some of those guys, but they fit in at the top of the guys we’ve had in the system,” Preller said. “You always listen. You always are willing to hear what other teams have to say. ... But ultimately, we're really happy that they're with us right now.”

San Diego opted for upside with a pair of prep left-handed pitchers at the top in Kash Mayfield and Boston Bateman, and went way above slot to sign Nebraska high-school slugger Kale Fountain for $1.7 million in the fifth round. College performers Tyson Neighbors, Kavares Tears and Clark Candiotti went in the fourth round -- and the multitooled Tears particularly brings excitement as a key member of Tennessee’s national-title winning squad.

The Padres surprised the industry by selecting North Carolina high-schooler Cobb Hightower in the third round, but they projected him as a potential bat-first middle infielder.

So after six Top 30 prospects moved out in late July, seven new ones will join the list in August. Replenish indeed.

So many relievers
Typically, you don’t want a ton of relievers in your Top 30 list. You’d rather have starters with the potential for broader impact. But to the Padres’ credit, the organization has done a good job at identifying and bringing in high-quality arms who could help the MLB bullpen in short order.

Bradgley Rodriguez -- the 20-year-old right-hander and No. 21 prospect who signed for $370,000 three years ago -- is the poster child for this with his 97-99 mph fastball and killer changeup. But it doesn’t stop there.

Francis Pena (No. 25 prospect), who signed for just $10,000 in 2022, had his name come up in trade talks because of his 96-98 mph heater and above-average cutter. Jayvien Sandridge (No. 22 prospect) was a Minor League free agent last winter who has reached Triple-A with a 65-grade fastball and a plus slider. No. 28 prospect Omar Cruz was a Minor League Rule 5 Draft pick who’s shown a stellar changeup in the upper levels. Alek Jacob (No. 9) and Sean Reynolds (No. 24) have already seen the Majors with distinctly different styles.

San Diego’s Deadline moves prove the value of quality relievers, and the organization could have more than one coming up through its own ranks.