The bad weather continues for much of the minor league system and the records remain poor with the upper-level teams despite multiple standout players at all four levels. Fort Wayne had the best week, breaking even over their six games. El Paso has lots of pitching issues with multiple offensive players doing better than the pitchers.
Lake Elsinore Storm (8-9 record, 2nd in California League South)
With multiple new players coming into the system this season via draft and free agent/international signings, there are a handful that have distinguished themselves
early in 2026.
RHP’s Jesus Castro and Carlos Medina, both from Mexico, are making themselves comfortable with Lake Elsinore. In their Low-A debut, Medina has a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts to one walk. Castro has started three games with 11.2 innings pitched with a 4.63 ERA and seven strikeouts to five walks.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft has somewhat righted the ship after two disastrous starts. He started April 17 and completed three innings with four hits, one earned run, two walks and three strikeouts. His fastball sat 92-94 mph, up from his previous starts.
The two undrafted free agents signed by the Padres that are playing for the Storm have made a big impact so far. Infielder Bradley Frye has played in 15 games and 48 at-bats with a .417/.463/.563 line and 1.025 OPS. He has four doubles, a home run and 10 RBI. Not to be outdone, OF Conner Westenburg has played in 15 games with 49 at-bats with a .367/.426/.490 line and a .916 OPS. He has two doubles, two triples and 11 RBI. He has 10 out of 10 stolen bases, two more than OF Ryan Wideman.
Wideman, the third-round pick in the 2025 draft, is hitting .304/.388/.551 and .938 OPS with six doubles, a triple, three home runs and 18 RBI. Catcher Ty Harvey, the fifth-round pick in 2025, has a .353/.450/.471 line with a .921 OPS with two doubles and four RBI.
Not a bad start for many of the Padres new prospects.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (6-11 record, 6th in Midwest League East)
OF Jake Cunningham, who was drafted by Baltimore in 2023, signed with the Padres as a free agent in January of this year. He currently leads Fort Wayne with a .350 average, a .700 SLG and a 1.081 OPS. He has four home runs and six RBI with two stolen bases in 13 games and 40 at-bats. OF Kasen Wells leads the team with a .393 OBP with a .260 average and 11 walks, he has stolen three bases in four attempts.
OF Alex McCoy continues to smoke the ball with a .328/.355/.586 line and .941 OPS. He has six doubles, three home runs and nine RBI in 16 games and 58 at-bats. Both infielder Rosman Verdugo and C/1B/DH Lamar King Jr. have seven RBI each, with two and one homer respectively.
On the pitching side, LHP Kash Mayfield has a 0.00 ERA after three starts and 12 innings pitched. He has 16 strikeouts and five walks. Mayfield has dominated with his fastball/changeup combination as his command has been stellar so far. RHP Carson Montgomery, in his return from injury which kept him out all of last season, has two starts and eight innings pitched with a 2.25 ERA with seven strikeouts and four walks.
Reliever Clay Edmondson has two saves in his six games and seven innings pitched with a 1.29 ERA and nine strikeouts to three walks. Reliever Tucker Musgrove, on almost everyone’s watch list for this year, has had a rough start. He has appeared in three games for 2.2 innings with three runs allowed for a 10.13 ERA in the small sample. He has five strikeouts and three walks.
San Antonio Missions (5-12 record, 5th in Texas League South)
Free agent OF/1B Leandro Cedeño, 27, who spent a few seasons in the NPB before signing this past offseason, has played in seven games and 21 at-bats with a .381 average and .500 OBP. He has a double, two RBI and five walks. IF Carson Tucker, 24, was a highly regarded prospect (No. 1 pick) in the Guardians system who was released after suffering injuries that slowed his progress. He signed with the Padres in the offseason. In 12 games and 38 at-bats he has a .316/.381/.368 line and .749 OPS with a double, three RBI and 4-for-4 stolen bases. The strikeouts are high at 12 with four walks. A 33% K-rate needs to be watched.
Catcher Ethan Salas, working back into the mix after a lost 2025, has played in 13 games with 42 at-
bats and a .238/.304/.310 line and .614 OPS while getting back to himself behind the plate. He has a 25% caught stealing rate and has had no errors in 10 games caught.
RHP Eric Yost, who has both started and been in relief, has a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched with 16 strikeouts and eight walks. RHP Miguel Mendez, who has flashed 100 mph fastballs this season, has a 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched in three starts. He has 14 strikeouts (26.9% K-rate) and six walks. RHP Francis Pena, who had a poor second half of 2025, has bounced back with 6.2 innings pitched in his five appearances with a 1.35 ERA and 10 strikeouts to nine walks. The high walk rate is concerning but his previous effectiveness seems to be returning.
El Paso Chihuahuas (10-13 record, 4th in Pacific Coast League East)
OF Carlos Rodriguez leads with a .300 batting average. IF Pablo Reyes is tops in OBP with .433 and OF Jase Bowen has a .636 SLG, .989 OPS and also leads with five home runs. Bowen also has a 26.3% K-rate with 22 strikeouts. IF Sung-Mun Song, who is hitting .293/.369/.320 with a .689 OPS also has 21 strikeouts in his 75 at-bats. Song has 12 RBI but only two XBH and nine walks. He has not attempted to steal any bases.
IF Jose Miranda leads the team with 16 RBI and is hitting .296/.321/.556 with a .877 OPS. The Padres depth both on the bench in San Diego and waiting to help, if needed, in El Paso is a vast improvement over many past seasons. Miranda has an opt out in June with his contract.
RHP Griffin Canning started on April 22 for El Paso but didn’t make it out of the second inning. He threw 45 pitches with 1.2 innings pitched and two runs with two walks. He currently has a 5.40 ERA in 10 innings pitched with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks. He must be activated by May 4.
LHP Yuki Matsui has had all one inning appearances so far with El Paso. He has 6.2 innings pitched over seven games and a 4.05 ERA with eight strikeouts and one walk.
Injured list
LHP Luis Gutierrez (San Antonio) and RHP Jeferson Villabona (Fort Wayne) were both placed on the IL on April 21.
