San Diego Padres: Prospects provide glimmer of hope for Padres

Through a combination of draft picks and other acquisitions, the San Diego Padres organization has become stronger and deeper this season.

On Thursday, Baseball America released its top ten prospect rankings for the Padres organization at the midpoint of the 2017 season. Though the rankings are separate and somewhat different than mlb.com‘s lists, the consensus they come to is that San Diego is more well equipped for the future now than they have been in a very long time.

The list includes former top ranked prospect Anderson Espinoza, who is now ranked fourth, as well as former second ranked prospect Cal Quantrill, who has moved to the top spot.

Third overall draft pick MacKenzie Gore has already jumped to the second ranking in the organization, the only draft selection this season who has immediately become one of the organization’s brightest prospects.

The list also features two exciting young infielders in Luis Urias and Fernando Tatis Jr. With a void at shortstop for the long term, the Padres can be optimistic about the depth they have lined up just a couple levels from the majors.

The full list is as follows:

1. Cal Quantrill, RHP

2. MacKenzie Gore, LHP

3. Luis Urias, 2B/SS

4. Anderson Espinoza, RHP

5. Adrian Morejon, LHP

6. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS

7. Michel Baez, RHP

8. Dinelson Lamet, RHP

9. Eric Lauer, LHP

10. Josh Naylor, 1B

Baseball America went on to describe why they are so optimistic about the organization:

The Padres are merely biding their time until this first wave of prospects adjusts to the majors and the next wave is ready to ascend. They do have prospects sprinkled from Triple-A down to the lowest rungs of the minors, where last year’s massive international spending spree could pay off early next decade.

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In other words, even though the rest of baseball might not see them coming, the Padres are going to take off when their prospects develop. Not only does the organization have talented prospects, they have organized prospects, which is even more important. What this means is that each position the club will need within the next few seasons is accounted for in the minors. Whether it be pitching, another middle infielder, or outfielders, the Padres are in position to develop in a well timed manner.

Not everything goes as planned, of course. But as Baseball America demonstrated by ranking San Diego’s prospects, the minor league system the Padres currently have places them in a favorable position to succeed in the near future.

Next: Deadline deals: Trevor Cahill

As far as the trade deadline is concerned, the Padres are sellers without a doubt. This doesn’t make this time of year the most exciting for fans, but it will provide them with another opportunity to acquire prospects to further deepen their farm system.