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San Diego Padres: Fort Wayne TinCaps Players Of The Year

By Nick Stevens |
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 13: A San Diego Padres hat sits in the dugout during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on May 13, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 13: A San Diego Padres hat sits in the dugout during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on May 13, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres /

In part two of our minor league Players of the Year series, we’re naming the top hitter and top pitcher for the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Was there a more exciting team in all of minor league baseball than the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the full-season A affiliate of the San Diego Padres? The answer to that is no. Despite just missing the Midwest League playoffs, the TinCaps featured numerous teenage prospects who made their full-season debuts in 2018, including last year’s first-round draft pick, LHP MacKenzie Gore.

Other notable names on the TinCaps roster included teenagers Gabriel Arias, Jeisson Rosario, Tirso Ornelas, and Esteury Ruiz, all of whom are legitimate contenders to crack the MLB Top 100 prospects list, eventually.

The TinCaps finished the regular season with a 64-74 overall record, good for fourth place in the Midwest League Eastern Division, behind the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Lansing Lugnuts, and West Michigan Whitecaps. The record is far from indicative of how exhilarating this team was to watch. All you have to do is mention one name to fully understand the excitement that was the Fort Wayne TinCaps….Luis Patino. More on him in a moment.

Like the Tri-City Dust Devils, picking just one top hitter and one top pitcher is a difficult task but let’s give it a shot.

Fort Wayne TinCaps Hitter of the Year.

Were it not for an injury that limited him to 86 games this season, the award may have gone to outfielder Tirso Ornelas, instead, this year’s Hitter of the Year award goes to infielder Esteury Ruiz. Ruiz may be one of the more underrated prospects in the entire San Diego Padres system. With so much attention rightfully geared toward Luis Urias, Ruiz is often overlooked.

Ruiz finished second on the team in hits (111), doubles (20), and triples (5). He led the team in home runs (12), total bases (177), and stolen bases (49).

Elite base runners instantly catch my eye and Ruiz should develop into just that. He was caught 11 times, posting an 82% success rate that is sure to improve as he matures and learns the game (won’t turn 20 until next spring training).

Finishing with a .253/.324/.403 slash line, Ruiz did strike out 141 times in 439 at-bats (29%) and was a pull-heavy hitter, however, Ruiz had a fantastic season for a 19-year-old who skipped short-season ball. Expect him to make even more noise next season in Lake Elsinore.

ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 25: Baseballs sit in the St. Louis Cardinals dugout prior to a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 25, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 25: Baseballs sit in the St. Louis Cardinals dugout prior to a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on April 25, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images) /

Is there anyone more exciting than San Diego Padres prospect Luis Patino?

On Monday, Fangraphs released their latest prospect update piece, highlighting a few adjusted prospect grades based on more recent evaluations. Included in that list was Fort Wayne TinCaps pitcher, Luis Patino. Here’s what they had to say about the 18-year-old pitching prospect.

We believe Patiño to be the best 18-year-old pitching prospect on the planet. He has a mid-90s fastball, plus breaking ball, and the kind of premium athleticism indicative of growth in other areas.

Extremely high praise for a teenager with just 139 innings under his belt as a minor leaguer. The fun-loving RHP put up video game-like numbers in Fort Wayne, capturing the eyes of national evaluators and the hearts of fans across the country.

In 17 Midwest League starts, Patino finished 6-3 with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He gave up just 65 hits across 83 innings, only one of those hits finding its way over the fence. Just under 30% of hitters fell victim to a Luis Patino strikeout, finishing second on the team with 98 total punchouts (Tom Cosgrove‘s 122 led the team).

While Osvaldo Hernandez certainly made a convincing case (stats below), this year’s Pitcher of the Year in Fort Wayne was a fairly easy choice.

Other notable 2018 performances in Fort Wayne.

OF Jeisson Rosario: .368 OBP, 25 extra-base hits, 66 walks, 18 stolen bases

P Osvaldo Hernandez: 11-4, 1.81 ERA, 94/27 K/BB ratio, 1.19 WHIP, 3 HR allowed

P Nick Margevicius: 5-5, 3.07 ERA, 87/9 K/BB ratio, 1.15 WHIP

P MacKenzie Gore: 2-5, 4.45 ERA, 74 strikeouts in 60 innings (blister issues led to numerous trips to the disabled list.

Next. Re-Watch Francisco Mejia's Grand Walk-Off. dark

Make sure you plan a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana next season for what is sure to be another year of elite talent taking over the Hoosier State. The San Diego Padres will again feature one of the top ranked farm systems in all of baseball, meaning the next Luis Patino or Esteury Ruiz will surely find their way on to this roster.

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