San Diego Padres: Recent Draft Picks Show Up On Day One

The Arizona League kicked off its 2018 season on Tuesday night with two San Diego Padres teams playing each other.

It was just one game in the rookie-level Arizona League. One quick look at a group consisting mainly of recent call-ups from the Dominican Summer League and recent 2018 draft picks. However, it was yet another glimpse into the fun and exciting types of players that fill the San Diego Padres minor leagues.

Right after the draft, I highlighted five players who I thought were the big names to keep an eye on. Two of those names, Xavier Edwards and Jawuan Edwards, made their professional debuts last night in the Arizona League.

There were concerns about the signability of Xavier Edwards coming out of the draft. Both of his parents are teachers and Edwards was committed to continue his education and play baseball at Vanderbilt University. With the little savings the Padres acquired by drafting under-slot players, they were able to swing $2.6 million (reported by MLBPipeline.com’s Jim Callis) towards Edwards, convincing him to join the organization over becoming a Commodore.

In last night’s contest, Edwards went 2-3 at the plate with one run scored, one stolen base, and two walks. The guys over at “In This League” were there, tweeting out this video of Edwards and his first walk and first stolen base.

The more I watch, read, and ask questions of Edwards, the more he is becoming a favorite

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prospect of mine. With all the tools to profile as an ideal leadoff hitter, Edwards is worth a summer evening in Arizona.

Another one of my big names to watch is Jawuan Harris. Harris was the seventh round pick of the Padres, out of Rutgers. The two-sport star spent his summers preparing for football, rather than touring the baseball summer circuit.

Harris lined up in centerfield for his first pro start, going 1-3 at the plate. His first at-bat was a sacrifice fly, followed by a triple in the seventh inning. He also scored a run, was hit by a pitch, and recorded a stolen base.

Pre-draft reports by a number of evaluators are optimistic of the potential power from Harris and defensive abilities to stick in centerfield, at least for the foreseeable future.

Next: Lucchesi Returns But Will Franchy Cordero Come Back This Year?

If you love prospects and are in or around Arizona, the Arizona League Padres play their home games at the Peoria Sports Complex, the spring training home of the San Diego Padres.