After trading away numerous prospects, the San Diego Padres have replenished their farm system in a big way. The Padres have gone all in the last couple of seasons trying to compete for a World Series title and, in doing so, have shipped out some of their top prospects. But they have been able to build back up their farm system and have one of the leading systems in the league.
Top Prospects in The San Diego Padres Farm System
C Ethan Salas
Coming to the San Diego organization as a 2023 international signing, Salas has caught the eye of many people in baseball. As a 17-year-old, he is ranked five in the top 100 prospects. He has also taken over the top spot in the San Diego Padres farm system.
Salas has the chance to be a five-tool player in his career. It starts with his batting, including driving the ball to all field parts. Along with that, he possesses above-average power at the plate.
Behind the plate, Salas is well advanced for his age, so much to the point that the Padres have had him take bullpen sessions with some of their MLB pitching staff already. He is viewed as an above-average catcher with excellent arm strength.
In 51 games this season, the left-handed hitting catcher has already made the jump to High-A. He has put up nine home runs, 36 batted in, and 11 doubles. The home run numbers could make a jump, but Salas is showing he can hit and that the hype is accurate so far.
Salas could make his way through the minor league ranks quickly if he can continue to develop at the rate he already has.
SS Jackson Merrill
Merrill, another top 100 prospect in the Padres farm system (#9), was a first-round selection in the 2021 draft. He is another left-handed the Padres have in their design and is viewed as an above-average hitter. Merrill can also hit the ball to all parts of the field, like Salas.
So far in the 2023 season, he has hit a .280 batting average with 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in. He has split the season between High-A and Double-A ball.
Many questioned whether Merrill could stick at the shortstop position in the field. But he has worked to improve his arm strength and footwork at shortstop and has silenced those critics.
With these improvements and the tools, he possesses, Merrill could be making a push for the Padres lineup in 2024.
LHP Robby Snelling
Sticking with the “left-handed” theme, the Southpaw pitcher Snelling was a 2022 draft pick by San Diego. He also ranks in the top 100 prospects at number 65. He has also taken over the top spot in the San Diego Padres farm system pitcher-wise.
Pitch-wise, Snelling holds a fastball between 93 and 95 miles per hour. Mixed in is a low 80s slider viewed as an above-average pitch. But what could dictate his future as a starter or reliever could be the development of a changeup to his pitching arsenal at some point.
In the 2023 season, he made the jump from A to High-A. In 80 innings of work, he has put up 92 strikeouts. He has also kept hitters at bay, holding them to a .218 average on the season.
RHP Dylan Lesko
A 2022 first-round pick by San Diego, Lesko was ranked the number one high school pitching prospect in the draft. This was despite the fact he had to undergo Tommy John surgery leading up to the draft.
Before the surgery, Lesko possessed a fastball that sat between 92-95 miles per hour, a changeup in the low 80s. His changeup was viewed as one of the best of any pitcher in the 2022 draft. He also has an upper 70s curveball, but it needs to improve with the consistency of it.
The 2023 season has been viewed as one of “getting healthy and going.” He has been able to strike out 27 batters in 17 innings but has also given up a .288 opponent batting average. The 2024 season will likely see Lesko ramp up his workload and prove why he’s a top pitcher in the San Diego farm system.
RHP Jairo Iriarte
The 21-year-old Iriarte was a 2018 international signing by the Padres. During his first two professional seasons, he spent time splitting between a starter and a bullpen arm. His mid-90s fastball and upper-80s changeup have helped him climb the San Diego Padres farm system ranks.
But his slider is seen as an inconsistent pitch at this point. Overall, he needs to improve consistency and command on all his slopes. So far, in 2023, he has given up 31 walks in 70 innings pitched.
Iriarte was moved to a relief role in Double-A this season. In just over nine innings out of the bullpen, he struck out 15 and walked three. He’s also held batters to a .222 batting average. He is projected to stick in a bullpen spot for the foreseeable future and could be where he makes his mark in the major leagues.
Overall, with an organization that is a winnow mode, the Padres have also built up an impressive farm system that should produce a few solid big leaguers in the coming years.
Main Photo Credits: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
