2 former Padres prospects who look like disasters after leaving San Diego

When it comes to prospects in baseball, front offices never hold on to all of them. They miss some of them, but these two former Padres prospects have turned into projects for their new teams.

Once considered the Padres’ next frontline ace, Dylan Lesko has seen a rapid decline in stock since his professional debut. After undergoing Tommy John surgery before the 2022 draft, the right-hander returned to action in mid-2023, flashing some of the elite stuff that made him a first-rounder. However, the results were far from dominant.

Lesko, now with the Tampa Bay Rays, debuted in June 2023 and reached High-A, but his 5.45 ERA over just 33 innings told a more honest story. His electric fastball and sharp curve occasionally surfaced, but inconsistency ruled. Things got worse in 2024. In 84 innings, Lesko walked nearly 20% of the batters he faced and hit 14 more, raising red flags about his command and long-term durability.

Still, the Rays, always eager to buy low on high-upside arms, swooped in and acquired him in a deal for reliever Jason Adam. It's a classic Rays move; banking on their reputation for pitcher development to rehabilitate a once-elite prospect.

But let’s be clear: Lesko is miles away from major-league readiness, and his mechanical inconsistencies could derail any short-term return. For now, he’s a lottery ticket with a pedigree, not a prospect knocking on the door.

If the Rays can work their usual magic, this may one day look like a steal. But as it stands, Dylan Lesko is trending more like a cautionary tale than a breakout story.

Are the Rays Quietly Entering a Rebuild? Dylan Lesko Might Be the Clue.

For years, the Tampa Bay Rays have been the poster child of “small-market success.” Competing with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, they’ve managed to consistently develop talent, flip assets at peak value, and remain contenders in the AL East.

But in 2025, there are subtle signs that the Rays might be shifting into rebuild—or at least retool—mode. The trade of high-leverage reliever Jason Adam, a bullpen staple, for struggling former Padres prospect Dylan Lesko is the clearest indication yet.

Lesko, once a first-round pick and San Diego’s top pitching prospect, brings massive upside—but also plenty of risk. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, he's shown flashes of dominance, but his command has completely unraveled. In 2024, he posted a 6.47 ERA, walked 19.2% of hitters, and hit 14 batters across 84 innings. The Rays clearly saw a buy-low opportunity—the kind of move you make when you're building for 2026 and beyond, not pushing for a playoff spot in the current year.

This trade fits a pattern. Tampa Bay has also shed veterans in recent months, prioritized younger arms, and been unusually quiet in free agency. While the front office hasn’t said the word “rebuild” out loud, actions speak louder than press conferences.

Lesko now becomes a high-ceiling lottery ticket in the Rays’ system. If they can work their usual pitching magic, he could be a future mid-rotation piece or better. But the move signals something bigger: Tampa Bay is turning the page, and Lesko might be part of the next chapter, not the current one.

Traded in early 2024 as part of the return for reliever Jason Adam, Lesko was viewed as a high-upside project for a Rays system known for reviving struggling arms. But so far, results have remained shaky. In nine appearances (eight starts) for High-A Bowling Green, Lesko has posted a 6.12 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 27 walks, and 6 hit batters in just 32.1 innings. His command issues have persisted, with a walk rate hovering around 18%, and he's struggled to pitch deep into games.

Despite the bumpy transition, Lesko has expressed optimism about the move to Tampa Bay, citing the Rays’ developmental focus and support structure as a “fresh opportunity” to reset.

“They’ve given me space to find my rhythm again and are working with me on trusting my stuff,” Lesko said in a recent interview with a Rays affiliate.

While his raw stuff—especially a fastball in the mid-90s and a sharp breaking ball—still flashes in short bursts, scouts have noted that his delivery remains inconsistent, often leading to extended wild stretches.

Victor Acosta: Once a Top Padres Prospect, Now Slipping Off the Radar

When the Padres signed Victor Acosta out of the Dominican Republic for over $1.8 million in 2019, they thought they had a switch-hitting shortstop with elite bat speed, smooth glove work, and five-tool upside. He was ranked among their Top 10 prospects heading into 2022 and looked like a rising star after a strong DSL debut.

After flashing potential early in his career with plus speed and defensive upside, Acosta’s bat has stalled. Across 98 games at Low-A Daytona in 2024, he slashed just .209/.289/.289 with three home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 27.5% strikeout rate. His swing has shown little improvement, and questions about his approach at the plate have only grown. But after being dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in the Brandon Drury trade at the 2022 deadline, Acosta’s career has taken a sharp downward turn.

Now 20, Acosta began the 2025 season back in Low-A, where his early numbers haven't been much better: through 21 games, he's hitting just .194 with a .266 OBP. Scouts note that while he remains a smooth defender at shortstop and second base, his offensive development has flatlined, limiting his projection as an everyday big leaguer.

The Reds still value Acosta’s athleticism and glove, but without any real progression in his hit tool or plate discipline, he's beginning to resemble a classic “tools-over-performance” prospect whose ceiling is fading fast.

Acosta hit just .209/.295/.301 in Single-A across 101 games in 2023. His strikeout rate ballooned to over 27%, and the power simply never developed — just 4 home runs in nearly 400 plate appearances. His once-praised instincts in the field have also regressed, and he no longer looks like a lock to stick at shortstop long-term.

Once a Padres Phenom, Victor Acosta Now Fading in Reds System

The Reds had hoped Acosta would slot into their wave of young infield talent, but instead, he's now viewed as more of an organizational depth piece than a future starter. He didn't crack their Top 30 prospect list in 2024, a stunning fall from grace for someone who was once ranked ahead of guys like Jackson Merrill. Acosta appears to be one they moved at the right time. Whether it was poor development or simply a misread on projection, the early returns in Cincinnati have been disappointing. Acosta still has youth on his side — he just turned 20 — but unless there’s a major turnaround in plate discipline and consistency, it looks like the Padres sold high on a name that never fully delivered.