The 2025 season is over for the San Diego Padres major league team. The lockers are cleaned out and the postseason is the only thing standing between the Padres upcoming free agents and the beginning of
planning for the 2026 season.
Baseball is not over with for the organization, though. Monday Oct. 6 is the beginning of the Arizona Fall League (AFL). The Padres have eight players on the roster of the Peoria Javelinas, joining players from the Orioles, Mariners, Reds and Twins.
With five pitchers and three position players on the roster, the Padres are extending the seasons for pitchers Kannon Kemp, Maikel Miralles, Tucker Musgrove, Johan Moreno and Carson Montgomery.
Catcher Ethan Salas was slated to play in the AFL, but Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Padres have reconsidered and are holding Salas back from the team. He has reportedly not suffered any physical setbacks, but the organization wants to give him more time to heal rather than push him to perform. It is possible he could still play winter ball this offseason. He is being replaced on the roster by C/1B Lamar King Jr.
It is common for the rosters to change during the six-week season as the teams use this time to get extra work for players, evaluate players for their major league roster or give rehab time to players who need work. The rosters are flexible for that reason and expect to see more than just these eight Padres prospects.
The season continues until Nov. 12 with the quarterfinal round of the playoffs beginning the next day. The No. 3 vs the No. 6 and the No. 4 vs the No. 5 at Scottsdale Stadium. The semifinals feature the No. 2 seed vs the winner of the 3/6 contest and the No. 1 seed vs the 4/5 contest. That will take place on Nov. 14 at Salt River Fields. The championship game will take place on Nov. 15 at Salt River Fields.
There will be a home run derby on Nov. 8 and it will be followed by the Fall Stars game on Nov. 9. Both will take place at Sloan Park. The Fall Stars game and the championship game will be broadcast on MLB Network as well as streamed on MLB.com.
The Arizona Fall League website also streams all the games throughout the season. The Peoria Javelinas will play the Scottsdale Scorpions on Oct. 6 and that is the only game the first day. All other teams begin their schedules on Oct. 7 and Peoria will be off.
MLB.com’s analysts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra wrote up the under-the-radar prospects for each team and cited RHP Tucker Musgrove as the prospect to watch for development as the AFL begins.
Padres: Tucker Musgrove, RHP
The Padres took Musgrove in the seventh round out of an NAIA program at the University of Mobile as a potential two-way player in 2023, but Tommy John surgery delayed his debut until this past April at Single-A. He finished with a 5.40 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 20 innings, but more importantly, he showed off dynamic stuff with an upper-90s fastball and an impressive sweeper that got both whiffs and chases. With a healthy Fall, he could easily push into San Diego’s Top 30.
With the removal of Salas from the roster, King Jr. is considered the top prospect on the roster for the Padres. Ben Weinrib of MLB.com wrote this regarding the Padres #14 prospect:
Padres: Lamar King Jr., C/1B (SD No. 14)
Fellow backstop Ethan Salas, who missed much of the season with a back injury, was on the initial Arizona Fall League roster, only to be replaced at the same position by King. But the 2022 fourth-rounder is more than just a last-second straight swap. After dealing with his own injuries (mostly with his shoulder) through his first two full seasons, King broke out with a .286/.370/.408 line and 118 wRC+ in 81 games at Single-A Lake Elsinore. More importantly, he folded in even more work behind the plate after previously being relegated to first base/DH duties. After a quieter performance at High-A Fort Wayne, the right-handed slugger has a chance to adjust and potentially take off in the hitter-friendly AFL.
For those who have not had enough Padres baseball, or just enjoy watching the development of talented players, the AFL offers more opportunities. We will post weekly updates on the Fall League, including the playoffs and the featured events.
AFL schedule:
