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San Diego Padres: First Round Pick Ryan Weathers Sees Action

By Nick Stevens

JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Baseballs and a bat sit on the field of the Miami Marlins during a team workout on February 23, 2016 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Baseballs and a bat sit on the field of the Miami Marlins during a team workout on February 23, 2016 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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First-round pick Ryan Weathers has now made two starts for the San Diego Padres Arizona League affiliate.

The San Diego Padres used the seventh overall pick in this year’s MLB draft to select LHP Ryan Weathers out of Loretto High School in Tennessee. Weathers was immediately slotted as the #9 prospect in the Padres farm system, according to MLB Pipeline, and has finally begun his pro career with the Arizona League Padres.

Originally a Vanderbilt commit, Weathers went right up to the deadline to sign his rookie contract, eventually signing for slot value, just above $5.2 million. The athletic 6’1″ 200-pound lefty is expected to be a fast-riser in the system, largely due to his extremely high baseball IQ.

Yesterday, MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis noted that Weathers just missed out entering the Top 100 overall prospect list on their updated list.

He’s only 18 years old but has already won a gold medal with Team USA and went 10-0 with a 0.09 ERA during his senior year of high school. Weathers has been on a professional baseball field his entire life, following his father, David Weathers, during his pro journey. Ryan Weathers is now a pro ball player, himself.

Weathers makes Arizona League debut

His pro debut didn’t go exactly as planned, facing an extremely tough lineup consisting of his very own teammates. Pitching for the Arizona League Padres second team, Weathers gave up four runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks, lasting just one-third of an inning.

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Fellow top draft pick Xavier Edwards reached on an error before Weathers allowed a two-run home run to Lee Solomon. Nick Gatewood followed up with a double as Weathers proceeded to walk the next two hitters. After striking out Agustin Ruiz, Weathers was removed from the game, with bases loaded and just one out.

His second start went much better as Weathers pitched lights out, literally, the lights went out after a massive sandstorm swept through the area.

Before play was suspended, he tossed two scoreless innings with one strikeout. Three of his six outs were recorded by way of a groundball, there would have been another routine ground ball out, however, a throwing error on the play allowed the runner to reach base.

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Armed with three plus-pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup), Weathers is another elite left-handed pitching prospect that could be joining the major league rotation within the next few seasons. Can any other organization say that they have two Gatorade National Player of the Year, left-handed pitching prospects that can throw in the mid-90s and one of them is ranked as the sixth-best pitching prospect on the team? I’m going to assume, without doing research, that answer is a definite no.

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