The Lake Elsinore Storm completed their regular season schedule with a 4-1 record for the week and a cancelled game. Unanticipated weather conditions made the Lake Elsinore field unplayable. The tarp had not been deployed the day before the night and early morning rain arrived.
The championship playoff, a best-of-three series against the Ontario Tower Buzzers, started Tuesday, today and Friday, if needed.
Multiple roster moves occurred at the end of the Bridge League in Arizona and the end of both
A-level seasons.
RHP JP France and RHP José Leclerc were released from El Paso. Outfielder Kai Murphy and catcher Victor Duarte were returned to the development list.
Outfielder Braedon Karpathios, LHP Luis Gutierrez, and catcher Anthony Vilar were promoted from San Antonio to El Paso.
RHP Trevor Gott was signed to a minor league contract and assigned to El Paso.
RHP Carson Montgomery, infielder Kerrington Cross, and RHP Will Varmette were promoted from Fort Wayne to San Antonio.
The Lake Elsinore Storm received 2026 first-rounder Coleman Borthwick for their playoff roster. The righty has been pitching in the Bridge League. LHP Jeronimo Palmeros was sent to Arizona to open a roster spot for Borthwick.
El Paso Chihuahuas (56-82 record, last in PCL East)
The Chihuahuas split their week’s series while continuing to struggle with enough pitching to hold opponents in check. RHP Evan Fitterer was their most effective starter for the season with a 4.38 ERA in 88.1 innings pitched in 26 appearances and 20 starts.
RHP Hunter Stratton, acquired at the trade deadline, has pitched in 11 games and 14.2 innings with a 1.23 ERA.
RHP Jhony Brito, called up to the Padres briefly with the roster expansion, returned to El Paso with the activation of Nick Pivetta. He has started and relieved in his 42.1 innings pitched since coming off the injured list. Brito should have a more defined role with next season’s Spring Training work.
The Chihuahuas never really had a chance for a winning season with the constant flow of players back and forth with the parent club. Their offense was robbed of all their effective hitters while the pitching was also in flux and underperformed.
Of the remaining players on El Paso’s offensive roster, outfielder Nick Solak has had the best season. In 105 games, Solak is hitting .316/.379/.505 with 26 doubles, two triples, and 16 home runs for 73 RBI.
San Antonio Missions (58-74 record, last in Texas League South)
The Missions also split their series this past week.
Outfielder Braedon Karpathios, who struggled for most of the season after breaking out last year, has surged over the past month. In the first two games of the week, Karpathios had 7 hits with 2 homers and 9 RBI. He finished the six games hitting .636 (three doubles, two homers, 13 RBI) for a 1.712 OPS. He earned Texas League Player of the Week honors for that outburst. He was also promoted to El Paso for the last two weeks of their season.
LHP Luis Gutierrez, working to get back into form after missing most of the season with a shoulder injury, had a good start. He threw three innings with two hits and four strikeouts, not allowing a run. He was promoted to El Paso for their last two weeks and could see time in the AFL to continue to work back into form.
RHP Francis Peña, who has struggled with command most of the year, is finishing strong for the Missions. In two appearances, Pena struck out four over four innings pitched. He has a 27.6% K rate but also has a 14.2% walk rate for the year.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (56-74 record, last in Midwest League East)
The TinCaps went 4-2 for the week, with third baseman Kerrington Cross finishing his Single-A stint with a good week. He had a 1.073 OPS for the week and has been hitting for more power of late. Over his last 27 games with Fort Wayne, Cross hit .269/.382/.441. After a dominant start in Lake Elsinore, Cross struggled when promoted to Fort Wayne but looks to have adjusted as the season ended for the team. He was promoted to San Antonio to finish out the season. Quite the first pro year for the 2025 7th-rounder.
RHP Winyer Chourio, 22, signed with the Padres in 2024 as an international player. He played in the ACL in 2025 and began this season with Lake Elsinore, promoted in June. Over those two levels, Chourio has a 6-5 record and a 4.56 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched. Also finishing strong, Chourio has a 2.29 ERA over his final five appearances after struggling to begin his time with the TinCaps.
Catcher Robbie Lavey, the only 2026 Padres draftee to start his pro career in Single-A, played in 16 games with Fort Wayne, hitting .241/.302/.431 with five doubles and two homers for 12 RBI.
Lake Elsinore Storm (66-65 record, 2nd in California League South)
The Storm finished strong after struggling for all of the second half of the season. Shortstop Jorge Quintana, acquired at last year’s trade deadline, got some time at third base after new draftee Elliot Lascelles joined the team, playing at short. Quintana, 19, is still growing into his 6-2 frame. He might be a better fit at third base in the long run. He has just begun to come into his power swing, hitting nine homers in 103 games.
Outfielder Qrey Lott, 21, is an undrafted free agent signed in July 2025. His first full pro season resulted in a .272/.385/.420 batting line with 14 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 42 RBI in 95 games. He is not in the Padres’ top 30 prospect list but bears watching.
2026 second-rounder SS Elliot Lascelles and seventh-rounder IF Joe Tiroly both did well in their pro debuts after signing their contracts. Lascelles hit .321/.406/.429 in 15 games with only 10 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances.
Tiroly hit .323/.380/.692 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 17 games and 71 plate appearances. He struck out 14 times.
RHP Jesus Castro, 19, completed his first stateside pro season with a five-inning outing, allowing four hits and one run. In 90.1 innings pitched, Castro has a 4.18 ERA in 22 games and 20 games started with 100 strikeouts to 31 walks.
LHP Kruz Schoolcraft had a very inconsistent first season as a Padres prospect. In 22 starts and 79.1 innings pitched, Schoolcraft has a 5.90 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 57 walks.
The Instructional League begins in Arizona before the start of the Arizona Fall League. AFL begins on Oct. 3.
