San Diego Padres Getting a Look at a Trio of Talented Outfielders

With Wil Myers on the disabled list again, the San Diego Padres are able to get a look at an intriguing trio of young outfielders.

The San Diego Padres currently have three of the fastest players in Major League Baseball on their roster. Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot, and Franchy Cordero all offer something unique to the Padres organization.

After an injury-plagued 2017, Jankowski was sent down to Triple-A El Paso to begin the year. He hit .363 with an OBP of .452 over 94 at-bats at Triple-A El Paso and was recalled Sunday.

In addition to Jankowski being in the starting lineup, having Margot and Cordero in the outfield means the Padres have one of the fastest outfields in baseball.

In a perfect world, this Padres outfield could consist of two Gold Glove winners in Jankowski and Margot. And then there’s Franchy Cordero, who has the rare combination of speed and power that scouts love.

A look at three young talents in the Padres’ outfield

Manuel Margot is struggling to begin the year, averaging .188 with a .240 OBP. But after getting two hits yesterday he could possibly be working his way out of his slump.

He is the Padres’ center fielder of the present and future, and at only 23 years old he has the potential to become a cornerstone of the franchise.

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His combination of speed and defensive ability, as well as his plate discipline, have caused the Padres to go all in on him.

Travis Jankowski is the oldest of the three. At 26 and in his third year in the majors, he owns a career .231 average and a .311 OBP.

While he has shown flashes of potential, with his ability to fly around the bases, he has struggled to get on base consistently.

This season could be his last chance to impress manager Andy Green.

His main skill set is his speed and defensive abilities. At the beginning of the year, he was sent down because of his inability to get on base last season.

If he continues to improve at the plate and play solid defense, he could end up staying in San Diego even when Renfroe and Myers come off the DL.

Franchy and Villa have been fantastic for the San Diego Padres

Franchy Cordero and Christian Villanueva are two rookies who have started this season on a tear. Coming into Monday’s game Cordero has hit six home runs this year including this 489-foot moonshot in Arizona:

Cordero’s ability to punish the baseball has never been in question. However, one issue scouts have always had with him is his high strikeout percentage. This season, Cordero is hitting .234 with an OBP of .264 to go along with 25 strikeouts.

If Cordero can work on his strikeout ratio, and start putting more balls in play, San Diego Padres fans could be watching a star in the making this season.

Next: Three Padres Pitchers That Deserve a Shot

Having the opportunity to watch these three speedsters in the outfield tonight should be a treat for Padres fans. This outfield has the potential to become one of the best in baseball if everything falls into place.