San Diego Padres Cactus League Report: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not, Vol. 2

PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Infielder Carlos Asuaje
PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: Infielder Carlos Asuaje

We’re just sixteen days away from Opening Day. Let’s take a look at who’s hot and who’s not for the San Diego Padres as we head into the home stretch of Spring Training.

Jose Pirela is still having an outstanding Cactus League for the San Diego Padres. His .464/.543/.857 (that’s a 1.400 OPS), in 28 at-bats leads the team. His two home runs, three doubles, one triple, and eight RBI have set him apart from other players who are vying for an everyday role on this team.

Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune had this to say last night (link to his story, as well).

Freddy Galvis continues to rake this spring, putting up a .417 average with a 1.563 OPS, going 10-for-25 at the plate with three doubles, a homer, three RBI and four walks so far. His glovework, plus the consistent offensive prowess he’s exhibited in Peoria are giving Padres fans a lot to look forward.

Wil Myers is having himself a fine spring, hitting .367/.387/.600 in 30 at-bats with two home runs and four RBI. He’s looked right at home in right-field, minus a couple of awkward plays at the beginning of camp.

Villanueva keeps raking

Christian Villanueva continues to mash for the Friars. His eleven RBI lead the team and his .357/.486/.750 slash line is absolutely bonkers, for lack of a better word. It would be one thing if he was hitting .357 with 11 at-bats, but that’s not the case.

Villanueva has done some damage over his first 35 plate appearances so far this spring, signifying to me that this young slugger is more-than-ready to assume, at the very least, a platoon with Chase Headley at third.

Carlos Asuaje and Franchy Cordero have both kept their hot streaks going, identically hitting .344, both in 32 at-bats. Cordero has played his rear-end off this spring and I, for one, am hoping to see him in a platoon in left on Opening Day.

Padres see a lot in Renfroe, but there may not be a spot for him

Hunter Renfroe, who is also vying for a roster spot in the Padres’ outfield, has seen his ST averages drop to .216/.256/.541 in a team-leading 37 at-bats. Though his power-potential is undeniable, it’s looking like a job that Renfroe, at the very least, had an inside-track for, will slip out of his grasp if he doesn’t show Green something soon.

Speaking of showing Andy Green something, Cory Spangenberg has turned things around after a slow start in Peoria. In 28 at-bats, Spangenberg has brought his slashes up to .321/.367/.607 with two home runs, two doubles, and three RBI.

The about-to-be 27-year-old (March 16) has been tearing it up. For someone who was also forced out of a semi-defined role with the addition of Eric Hosmer, this is the type of reaction Friars team officials were surely hoping to see.

Speaking of Hosmer, he has slowed down a bit since his hot start. No reason to be alarmed folks. I’m not even posting his numbers. If you’re curious look them up. I’m not fanning those flames. All in due time.

Manuel Margot has also been mired in a slump this spring, hitting just .188 with a .538 OPS in 32 at-bats. Hopefully, he’ll come around. As I wrote just a couple of days ago, his ST performance most likely won’t affect his roster status going into the season.

San Diego Padres ST Pitchers’ Reports

There have been an awful lot of standout performances, as well as a handful of poor ones, for the San Diego Padres so far this spring.

Joey Lucchesi has been nothing short of phenomenal, pitching to a 0.00 ERA over seven innings pitched with six strikeouts and two walks. Though he won’t crack the majors this season, this kid is something else.

More from Friars on Base

Chris Young (2.45 ERA in 11 innings, 10 K, 1 BB) and Tyson Ross (3.27 ERA in 11 innings) have both been making their respective cases for roster spots.

If the youngsters should falter, as some have already, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Young and Ross used as placeholders until the kids are ready.

Numbers in Spring Training can often be misleading. Hurlers like Phil Maton, Craig Stammen, Clayton Richard, Dinelson Lamet, Kaz Makita, Brad Hand, and Bryan Mitchell have all looked very good so far, but all have ERAs of over 4.50.

In spring, the eye test always trumps the boxscore. Unfortunately, Luis Perdomo and Matt Strahm have had the misfortune of enduring a couple of bad outings in which they failed both tests miserably.

Good thing for them, though? It’s only March 13th, they’ll have plenty of time to get back on track.

Next: Padres Need to Keep Looking at FA Starters

While it’s still early, the form of this San Diego Padres roster is beginning to take shape. The foundation is set, the young core is coming together, and the prospects are blossoming by the handful.

It’s a good time to be a Padres’ fan.