San Diego Padres: Lucchesi And Lauer Are Here, Who’s Next?

MacKenzie Gore No. 1 Padres Pitching Prospect, ETA 2020, Age: 19

MacKenzie Gore is the one of the best, if not the best, pitching prospect the Padres have ever had.

Drafted third overall in this past June’s draft, Mackenzie Gore is already receiving comparisons of other lefty pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, and Jon Lester. That is some pretty top-notch company.

After being signed, Gore reported to Rookie Ball and absolutely dominated. In 21 innings Gore punched out 34 hitters, allowed only three earned runs and walked only one batter.

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Opposing hitters couldn’t touch Gore as they batted a mere .184 against him. Gore’s fastball sits between 92-95 MPH and he throws a knee-buckling curveball along with a slider and changeup.

All of his pitches project to be above-average offerings.

The team certainly want Gore in a Padres uniform soon, as they likely want him to gather innings in the minor leagues to continue getting a feel of pro-ball.

He’d be better suited to grow his innings/pitch counts steadily now, rather than asking him to throw over 190 innings for the first time once he gets to the big leagues.

Gore is without question a number-one starter and future-ace.

As you can see the Padres are loaded with pitching prospects. If someone like Bryan Mitchell continues to struggle, the Padres have plenty of options to replace him.

The current rotation for the big club may not be what we, as fans, want it to be, but the future is bright. The future rotation could be one of the best in baseball once it includes Gore, Quantrill, Morejon, and others.

Next: Lauer Wasn't the First Friars Hurler to Bomb in Debut

We have gotten a glimpse of Luchessi, and tonight we saw the potential of Eric Lauer. Be ready Padres fans, the future is coming.