San Diego Padres Top 10 Prospects Updated
This continues to be a stacked system with both high upside prospects and lots of depth. The organization is building from the ground up and seem to have a strong plan in place.
Click here for the pre-season Top 10
*Amendment: This post was written and submitted prior to the Francisco Mejia deal (and I was on vacation). He would have fallen fifth on the list behind Luis Urias. Mejia could easily be a No. 1 prospect in some organizations but not San Diego, which is stacked with talent. The downside to this prospect is that he may not be a catcher in the long run and, while he doesn’t strike out a ton, he’s too aggressive at times and doesn’t always give himself the best pitch to hit or the best count to hit from. If he can make adjustments there, he will hit for average in the Majors and has 15-20 home run potential.
1. Fernando Tatis Jr. | SS | AA —> Much like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with Toronto, Tatis Jr. is a legacy prospect who is very advanced for his age. While the former possesses a plus-plus hit tool with modest future projections on his body and defence, the latter is known more for his plus power with an athletic frame and strong defensive potential. I like Tatis Jr. a little better long term but the swing-and-miss tendencies are a little worrisome but further maturation could temper that to a more reasonable level. There is all-star upside here.
2. MacKenzie Gore | LHP | A —> If he were pitching in the Yankees, Dodgers or Red Sox system, Gore would probably be a better known name as one of the Top 5 arms in the game. He’s a lefty with the potential for four above-average offerings and he has great size. Command and control both have the potential to be plus. He also receives strong marks for makeup. There is No. 1 starter potential here if he can stay healthy — and the organization has so far been handling him with kids’ gloves.