San Diego Padres: Watch Hudson Potts Light Up The Arizona Fall League [VIDEO]

San Diego Padres third base prospect Hudson Potts has been solid in the Arizona Fall League.

As the San Diego Padres hot stove was ignited well before the end of the 2018 regular season, one prospect has popped up in more and more discussions, third baseman Hudson Potts.

After ripping through the Carolina League with the Lake Elsinore Storm (.281/.350/.498, 17 home runs 35 doubles), the Padres rewarded Potts with a promotion to the AA San Antonio Missions, despite the fact that he was still just 19 years old.

Appearing in 22 games with the Missions, Potts struggled to catch up with Texas League pitching. He hit just .154 with 33 strikeouts in 78 at-bats. Of his 12 hits, only two went for extra bases (both home runs). Making the jump from High-A to Double-A is the biggest jump a prospect can make and tells us a lot about the ability of a prospect to succeed at higher levels, as they continue to work their way to the major leagues. Getting this experience at 19 will be extremely valuable for Potts, as he figures to return to Double-A to begin the 2019 season.

The brief stint in Texas is a valuable learning experience, one that he is taking with him to the elite Arizona Fall League. On Wednesday afternoon, Potts connected for this three-run shot against the Surprise Saguaros.

Through five games in the Arizona Fall League, Potts is hitting .261 (6-23) with a .292 OBP, one home run, one double, and seven runs driven in. He is currently on a two-game multi-hit streak, going 2-5 with three RBIs in each of his last two games.

As fans begin to debate on how the San Diego Padres should attack the offseason, third base is a major position of focus. Does Wil Myers stay at the position and continue to develop? Do the Padres try and make an aggressive reach for Manny Machado, moving either Machado or Fernando Tatis Jr.to third base? Or should the Padres wait for Hudson Potts?

As the teenage prospect continues to develop and shine in the minor leagues, it looks more and more as if the Padres should look at Potts as a legitimate option for the starting third base position. That won’t be until 2021, again he’s only 19 and won’t turn 20 for another week or two. However, there’s a lot to work with here and a lot of serious future value.

We will update all of the San Diego Padres prospects competing in the Arizona Fall League in our weekly update, with help from a few fellow writers who are currently in Arizona, checking out the talent.