The San Diego Padres have a championship team in the organization. The Dominican Summer League Padres Gold went all the way through pool play (two games), won the best-of -three semi-final playoffs and the best-of-three finals to win the first-ever DSL Cup.
Two of the Padres top-30 prospects played with the Gold team, #16 Jhoan De La Cruz and #9 Deivid Coronil, although Coronil was not on the postseason roster. De La Cruz posted a .962 OPS through the seven playoff games.
Several newly signed Padres
made their debuts again this week. RHP Cameron Nohos and RHP Charlie Walker were undrafted free agents signed this July and made their pro debut with Lake Elsinore. Fifth round draftee, catcher Ty Harvey, made his first start with Lake Elsinore. First rounder Kruz Schoolcraft was added to Lake Elsinore’s roster, but has not made an appearance yet.
First baseman Luke Cantwell, drafted in the 20th round, made his debut with Fort Wayne. LHP Ryan Reed made his debut with the Storm after being drafted by the Padres in the 15th round. RHP Will Koger, signed in the 9th round, made his debut with Lake Elsinore.
El Paso Chihuahuas (72-63 record, 2nd Pacific Coast League, East)
Starter Matt Waldron is struggling during his starts. He is throwing his knuckleball less and allowing more runs as a result. His 6.68 ERA is fairly consistent with his history in El Paso.
Although lefty Jackson Wolf had several good starts, he has also struggled enough to inflate his ERA to 5.68. His 88 strikeouts to 36 walks is the best ratio for any El Paso starter.
Outfielder Tirso Ornelas missed multiple weeks due to injury, but has shown improvement since his return from the IL. He has a .287/.381/.451 line with eight homers and 44 RBI in his 69 games. C/1B Luis Campusano is 26 years old and is under team control through the 2028 season. His future as a Padre doesn’t appear to be positive and this offseason could be a time of change for the catcher. He remains the best hitter for the Chihuahuas with a .333 average and .704 OPS with 24 homers and 86 RBI.
San Antonio Missions (62-67 record, 3rd Texas League, South)
LHP Jagger Haynes is the Padres #10 prospect. It is fair to state that he has not distinguished himself in Double-A, but he has also not hurt himself significantly either. In 23 games started and 96 innings pitched, Haynes has a 4.13 ERA with 97 strikeouts to 56 walks. His command has been inconsistent, but we could see a spring invite for 2026.
Reliever Garrett Hawkins has pitched in 10 games since his promotion to Double-A. He has a 2.45 ERA in his 11 innings pitched so far at this level. Reliever Harry Gustin has appeared in five games and 9.1 innings pitched since his promotion. Opponents have five hits and one unearned run during his early Double-A career.
First baseman Romeo Sanabria started the season with a bang and then tapered off significantly during the summer. Although still a Padres prospect, Sanabria will need to improve his contact skills and reduce his swing and miss to maintain his status. He has a .260 average and .683 OPS with 11 HR and 53 RBI in 431 AB’s. He has struck out 100 times to his 34 walks.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (56-73 record, 5th Midwest League, East)
RHP Isaiah Lowe has made his last start for the TinCaps for the season and the Padres #26 prospect has struggled this year. In his 22 games started, Lowe has a 3-12 record and 5.69 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 51 walks.
Conversely, RHP Eric Yost has put himself on the map going forward. Currently the Padres #22 prospect, Yost has a 2.89 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched with 87 strikeouts and 33 walks. Although his fastball only sits low to mid-90’s, Yost has a plus slider and commands his pitches with more consistency. His projection is as a fifth starter, but this next season could be a real test.
Both 1B Luke Cantwell and SS Jonathon Vastine got their first professional home runs this past week with Fort Wayne. 1B/C Lamar King Jr has played in 23 games since his promotion to Fort Wayne. His adjustment has been a bit slow with 22 strikeouts and a .244 average and .615 OPS.
Infielder Eguy Rosario is with Fort Wayne for his rehab assignment and should be going back to El Paso when completed.
Lake Elsinore Storm (56-74 record, last in California League, South)
LHP Kash Mayfield had his first bad start this week since early in the season, but carries a 2.97 ERA for the year with 88 strikeouts and 28 walks. He is the best starter on the team by a long shot. RHP Abraham Parra has a 4.93 ERA in 76.2 IP and 11 games started. He has 68 strikeouts and 33 walks.
With many of the new Padres beginning their pro careers with Lake Elsinore in the last couple weeks, it is not surprising the team has not had much success. Lefty reliever Ryan Reed distinguished himself throwing three innings total for his first week and allowing only three hits and no runs.
Outfielder Alex McCoy has raked since his return from the IL. In the 52 games since his return, McCoy is hitting .311 with an .896 OPS. He has 33 RBI with 12 doubles, four triples and six homers. The 6-6, 260-pound 23-year-old could be a force to be reckoned with if he can carry this over through the minors.
Infielder Dylan Gregg has played in 20 games since his debut last month after being drafted in the 13th round of the draft. He is hitting .252 with a .703 OPS with four doubles, a triple, three homers and 13 RBI.
Shortstop Jorge Quintana got his first home run with his new team after being acquired at the trade deadline. He is hitting .185 with a .572 OPS with his new organization.
As the minor league season winds down, there will be more new players making their first appearances after their time in Arizona. The Padres, and other major league teams, have an unofficial league going this time of year and the Arizona Bridge League provides the ability to evaluate new players as well as give veterans like Michael King a rehab start.
