Padres News: Prospects Impress in Instructional League

By Daryll Dorman | Oct 20, 2015

The San Diego Padres got a jump on tomorrow by hosting a nearly month long instructional league with some of the organizations most promising prospects and many of their player development coaches. As reported by Corey Brock, the Padres saw the quick league as a great chance to see some of their future players and a time to give a lot of coaching before any pressure to perform could affect them.

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Padres director of player development Sam Geaney presided over the mini-league and felt very satisfied with what was accomplished during the month long training, stating, “I think we set out to use it as a chance for a majority of our top prospects and many members of 2015 Draft class to feel solid going into their offseason.”

As Preller continues to imprint his fingerprints on the major league club, he also has a strong history of shaping the minor league system of his club where he specialized in Texas. That focus on both the current and the future came through as Geaney summarized what the organization saw the time as in the bigger picture:

“Over the last year, I think we’ve focused in on some things that we’re going to be about as a staff, how players are going to work. This was the first opportunity for our staff to put it into action.”

Stand-out players of the camp included outfielder Nick Torres who finished his first year in the Padres organization in high A Lake Elsinore and will stay down in the desert for the upcoming Arizona Fall League. Also third baseman Carlos Belen who is just 19 but stood out with his development in the instructional league. Shortstop Ruddy Giron also attended who had a terrific season in the minor leagues and June pitcher draftee Austin Smith.

The Padres have several players headed for the longer Arizona Fall League, which historically is a proving ground for future success.

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