EVT Top-100 San Diego Padres Prospects

40- Angel Solarte– OF  03/29/2001
Highest Level: AZL Padres
2019 Stats: .681 OPS (.248/.307/.374)  4 HR/41 RBIs  18 BB/45 K  5 SB

18-year-old Solarte is a plus defender in centerfield. The right-handed hitter has shown average power and speed so far in his professional debut. He is a bit of a free-swinger and needs to show more patience at the plate. He is not a huge prospect in terms of size at 5-foot-11, but there are some positives to his game. The Venezuelan youngster is a decent prospect with some nice upside.

39- Frank Lopez– RHP  04/23/2001
Highest Level: AZL Padres
2019 Stats: (1-5) 3.49 ERA/1.394 WHIP  56.2 IP/66 K

Venezuelan teenager Frank Lopez is a very special talent. He has recorded 97 strikeouts in the minors in his first two seasons, while only allowing two homers in 80 innings pitched. He throws a low to mid 90’s fastball with good movement. He also throws a plus change and a decent slider. He should begin next year in the TinCaps’ rotation at the age of 19. He has a nice upside and should be recognized in 2020.

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38- Justin Lopez– INF  05/09/2000
Highest Level: Single-A Fort Wayne
2019 Stats: .646 OPS (.228/.278/.368) 13 HR/ 57 RBIs  28 BB/119 K

The 19-year-old from Venezuela spent his second year in Fort Wayne, where he put up almost identical numbers from 2018. He was the youngest player in the league last year and was still very young this season for the Midwest League. Lopez has great size (6-foot-2) and plenty of power. The switch-hitter can play all over the infield where he shows plus range. There is not much speed at all from this youngster, but he does almost everything else well. He needs to walk more to take his offensive game to the next level.

37- Mason Thompson– RHP  02/20/1998
Highest Level: Single-A Lake Elsinore
2019 Stats: (0-5) 7.24 ERA/1.829 WHIP  27.2 IP/25 K

Injuries have been an enormous problem for this big Texan. The 2019 season started well for Thompson as he was clocked at 97 and 98 mph continually out of the spring. He looked to turn the corner with his development but instead got sidetracked once again. He is throwing presently for the Storm, and will likely repeat the high Single-A level next year. Health is the key for Thompson.

36- Agustin Ruiz– OF 09/23/1999
Highest Level: Single-A Fort Wayne
2019 Stats: .654 OPS (.239/.320/.334)  4 HR/55 RBI  51 BB/127 K

This Mexican left-handed hitting outfielder has a lovely swing. He has yet to show much power but does have an early ability to barrel up baseballs. Ruiz will also take a walk which shows he has a decent baseball approach. The young player has very little speed and is a corner outfielder for sure, but there is a lot to like about this 19-year-old. He will likely start 2020 in Lake Elsinore with the Storm.

35- David Bednar– RHP  10/10/1994
Highest Level: Major Leagues
2019 Stats: (Minors) (2-5) 2.95 ERA/1.155 WHIP  58 IP/86 K  14 saves

Most 35th-round picks don’t pan out very much. The Padres took Bednar in 2016, and he has made progression each year. He closed out games for the Sod Poodles and has shown a lot in a Padres uniform. Bednar has 38 career saves in the minors and thrives at high-leverage situations. Velocity has increased for Bednar as he is topping out at 97 mph. He also throws a nasty split-change which gets ample swings and misses. The recent refinement of his curve has made him even more of a threat to be a decent relief option.

34- Ivan Castillo– INF  05/30/1995
Highest Level: Double-A Amarillo
2019 Stats: .808 OPS (.313/.347/.461)  8 HR/ 57 RBIs  20 BB/55 K  15 SB/62 Runs

On November 2nd of 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays released Ivan Castillo. The minor league free agent signed with San Diego seven days later, and he has been a huge addition to the Sod Poodles. Castillo led the Texas League in hitting and got on base at a .347 clip in Amarillo. He is 24 and not a young prospect, but the switch-hitter could be a valuable utility option for the Padres eventually. This ranking may be high, but he shows the intangibles of the game that cannot be seen on a stat sheet. He will need protection from the Rule-5 draft.

33- Osvaldo Hernandez–  LHP  05/15/1998
Highest Level: Single-A Lake Elsinore
2019 Stats: (0-2) 3.38 ERA/1.179 WHIP  37.1 IP/ 28 K

Cuban left-handed pitcher Osvaldo Hernandez has had a tough year in which he is battling injuries. After throwing 109 innings last season, Hernandez was expected to help anchor the Storm’ rotation to begin 2019, but he was unable to answer the bell. The 21-year-old still has plenty of time to get back on track. He throws strikes and keeps the ball down. He also can keep hitters off balance. He is not a pitcher with great size, so there are some concerns about his longterm durability. Hernandez will need to stay healthy to sustain himself on top of this list. There are just too many young arms in the mix behind him.

32- Omar Cruz– LHP 01/26/1999
Highest Level: Single-A Fort Wayne
2019 Stats: (2-3) 2.73 ERA/1.16 WHIP  56 IP/76 K

Omar Cruz has only allowed one home run in 90 career innings while striking out 122 batters. The 20-year-old left-hander also owns a 2.20 career ERA in that time. He has an excellent fastball/change combination that is extremely effective. Cruz is not blessed with colossal size (listed at 6-foot-0), but he has a great idea of how to pitch. At the very least, he will be a useful bullpen piece at the higher levels of the organization.

31- Michael Gettys–  OF 10/22/1995
Highest Level: Triple-A El Paso
2019 Stats: .822 OPS (.256/.305/.517)  31 HR/91 RBIs  33 BB/168 K  17 SB

The right-handed hitter has a lot of tools but has yet been able to put it all together. There is still a lot of swing and miss in his offensive game. The power if unreal and he has top-notch speed, but Gettys must continue to have a better approach at the plate. He is a streaky hitter and can carry a team when he clicks with the bat, but he is also susceptible to long stretches of poor at-bats. Gettys is a terrific defender and should stick in center. Currently, at the Triple-A level, Gettys is close to major league service time, but the Padres currently have ample right-handed hitting outfielders who strike out too much. His future is cloudy with San Diego.

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James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.