San Diego Padres 2019 top 30 prospects at midseason

Who are the San Diego Padres’ best prospects in 2019? Here’s an inside look at the Padres’ top 30 prospects at the midseason mark.

With the San Diego Padres having made their 2019 MLB Draft picks, and many of this season’s prospects already on the major league roster, it’s time to look at the Friars’ best options still in their farm system.

The list has changed drastically over the first half of the Padres’ 2019 season. Fernando Tatis Jr., Chris Paddack, and Francisco Mejia have all made it to San Diego’s major league roster. Other prospects are absent from this list due to their lack of performance in the minor leagues, or better talent emerging or being found in the MLB Draft.

But even with the various roster moves, the San Diego Padres still have baseball’s best farm system.

The good news for Padres fans is that there’s an abundance of pitching on this list—nearly a third of San Diego’s best up-and-comers are pitchers. That’s no surprise (the Padres’ front office has a history of drafting pitching), but it’ll be a relief, perhaps literally, for a team whose biggest deficiency is their inconsistency on the mound.

There are a few impressive position players, too, proving that the Padres have talent at a wide variety of positions who could definitely help the team either as a late-season callout or in the future.

These are the San Diego Padres’ current top 30 prospects, along with their estimated time of arrival (ETA) in the major leagues. The number in parentheses indicates where they ranked in our preseason list, or NR if they’re new to the list.

Click through this slideshow to see where your favorite prospect ranks, and let us know the players you’re keeping an eye on in the comments at the end of the article.

30) Steven Wilson, RHP, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (NR)

An eighth-round draft pick of the Padres in 2018, Wilson is already moving up the affiliate ranks fast. After dominating the Cal league with a sub 1.00 ERA in the first half, Wilson has skipped Double-A entirely and is on the fast track to San Diego. If he keeps dominating the way he has, look for him to see some time in the Friars bullpen before the season is finished.

29) Efrain Contreras, RHP, Low-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps, ETA 2021. (NR)

A part of the 2017 International class, Contreras is showing that despite his age he knows how to pitch. Just 19 years old, he shows good command and poise for someone so young. Even though there are pitchers with a higher pedigree on his own team, he’s showing how deep the pitching in this farm system is.

28) Robbie Podorsky, OF, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm (7-day IL), ETA 2021. (28)

There are other prospects in this system with higher fanfare, but Podorsky keeps producing. A career .328 hitter in the minors through 150 games, he plays to his strengths very well. He gets on base and steals bases. The only knock on him to this point would be his health. On the Injured List now, he also had a lengthy IL stint last season as well.

27) Elliot Ashbeck, RHP, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, ETA 2020. (NR)

Drafted in the sixteenth round in 2015 as part of General Manager A.J. Preller’s first draft class, all Ashbeck has done is pitch, and pitch well. Mostly used as a reliever throughout his career, he has added three starts to his résumé so far this season. It would not be a surprise at all to see him earn a promotion to Double-A before the season ends.

26) Evan Miller, RHP, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2020. (NR)

Another late-round gem found by the San Diego Padres’ front office (in the 22nd round of the 2016 MLB Draft), Miller put together a dominant performance through the first half of his season at High-A Lake Elsinore. Recently promoted to Amarillo, he could see a late-season call-up to the majors, considering how poorly the big league club has struggled in the pen this season.

25) Travis Radke, LHP, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (NR)

One of the few pre-Preller Era prospects still in the system, Radke is the perfect example of a swing reliever, pitching at three levels of the San Diego Padres organization already this season. Having been in the system since 2014 look for this 24th round draft pick to get a late season call-up as well, especially with the big club lacking left-handed options out of the bullpen.

24) Pedro Avila, RHP, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2019. (NR)

After having a good spring training and one very good start with the Padres, Avila was sent down and would more than likely been a part of the ongoing carousel the rotation has become if it were not getting hurt. He’s currently on the seven-day Injured List, while other prospects have since moved past him and become bigger contributors to San Diego’s future.

23) Esteury Ruiz, 2B, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, ETA 2021. (27)

His speed and power combo potential are unmatched by few in this deep system. If he develops better plate discipline to match that athleticism, Ruiz could shoot up prospect rankings. Especially hot over his last ten games, sporting a batting line with a .324 average, .432 slugging percentage, and 12 home runs in 37 at-bats. Stretches such as this is what make him so intriguing, but can he be consistently great?

22) Joey Cantillo, LHP, Low-A Fort Wayne Tin Caps, ETA 2020. (NR)

The Padres’ front office must be licking their chops over this sixteenth-round steal from the 2017 MLB Draft. The pick from Hawaii is currently making the Midwest League look like a playground to him, sporting a sub-2.00 ERA. A complete game shutout is among his accomplishments. It would be interesting to see what he could do in High-A if given the opportunity.

21) Trevor Megill, RHP, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (NR)

Another reliever who has bounced between three San Diego Padres affiliates, Megill might be the most dominant of any of the relief options on this list. His 0.72 ERA across 25 innings pitched is a video game-type number. Look for him to get a call-up soon, as the Padres look for better arms to replenish their floundering bullpen.

20) Anderson Espinoza, RHP, San Diego Padres, ETA 2022. (11)

Espinoza has fallen down the San Diego Padres’ prospect list thanks to some tough luck. He battled back from (Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss two full years, only to have to do it again in 2019. When he’s healthy, his arm is incredible, but durability issues will be a concern until proven otherwise. He could possibly move to the bullpen to protect his arm, though he’s still on San Diego’s 40-man roster.

19) Osvaldo Hernandez, LHP, Arizona Rookie League Padres, ETA 2021. (19)

Speaking of injuries, Hernandez is just starting his 2019 season due to an injury. He was excellent last season pitching for Fort Wayne, but the lack of play time this season keeps him in the lower half of the prospect list. It will be interesting to see how San Diego’s front office decides to bring him along in the second half of the season, given that he’s now got just a half-season to get his work in.

18) Edward Olivares, CF, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2020. (21)

Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Yangervis Solarte before the beginning of the 2018 season, Olivares has the power and speed combination that scouts love. He’s similar to Esteury Ruiz, but with more power. Olivares is a good defender in the outfield and just needs to refine his approach at the plate to take the next step in his development.

17) Adrian Morejon, LHP, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2020. (9)

A lot of movement in the San Diego Padres’ farm system has been dictated by the injury bug. Morejon is another prospect who’s struggled to stay healthy. He’s been on the Injured List again in 2019; that’s the second season in a row. And when he has been available to pitch, he hasn’t been pitching well. Has he hit his ceiling already?

16) Michel Baez, RHP, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2020. (10)

Like Morejon, Baez has been beset by injuries throughout his minor league career. He’ll also be looking to bounce back in what’s left of the 2019 MLB season, although he recently transitioned from being a starter to pitching in relief.

15) Owen Miller, SS/2B, Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, ETA 2020. (20)

A more recent draft pick (third round in the 2018 MLB Draft), Miller has leaped up the San Diego Padres’ prospect rankings. Already in Double-A and hitting over .300, look for Miller to make an impact sooner rather than later when he arrives in Triple-A. He can play shortstop or second base, so he has some versatility to offer the Padres’ infield, too.

14) Ty France, 3B/1B, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (24)

Another 2015 draft pick still toiling away for that big league opportunity, and he’s just a step away. France crushed Triple-A pitching all season, developing his power hitting once he began starting on a regular basis. He briefly earned a promotion to the big club and held his own over 98 at-bats, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets another look from the Padres near the end of the 2019 season.

13) Austin Allen, C, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (15)

Another prospect who made his MLB debut in San Diego this season, and is now working to join the Padres permanently. A .289 career hitter in the minors, Allen hit a respectable .262 in a brief 42 at-bat stint with the Friars. Though he didn’t display any of the power that he was drafted for, it would seem to be only a matter of time until he gets a longer major league call-up.

12) Jacob Nix, RHP, San Diego Padres, ETA 2019. (13)

San Diego Padres fans would have more than likely have seen Nix in a Padres uniform this season if not for yet another injury. He was well on his way to being part of the starting rotation, until he was hurt during Spring Training. He’s currently on the 60-day Injured List and might have surgery that would end his season. If he doesn’t and manages to recover, he could still pop up by the end of the year.

11) Cal Quantrill, RHP, San Diego Padres, ETA 2019. (14)

Quantrill could have made the opening day roster with a good finish to his spring, but was hit hard at the end of Spring Training, and thus sent back to the minors for more development. He’s been moving back and forth between the San Diego Padres and their farm system ever since, though there’s some argument for making him a starting pitcher in a major league corps that needs new blood.

5) Luis Patino, RH-SP, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, ETA 2020. (6)

After a slow start to 2019, Patino has looked more and more like the breakout pitcher he was in 2018. He’s still on a fast trajectory to the major leagues, and should be promoted to Double-A in short order. With other pitching prospects around him getting called up due to the dearth of good pitchers on the Padres’ current roster, Patino could also move up faster than that.

4) Logan Allen, LHP, San Diego Padres, ETA 2019. (5)

Allen made headlines recently with his stunning MLB debut, where he threw seven shutout innings in front of John Cena. He would have more than likely made the rotation out of Spring Training if it weren’t for getting hurt and then struggling when he returned. Now the question is if Allen can follow up his impressive first start with another one, and if the Padres will keep him in the rotation or send him back to the minors as they continue to juggle pitchers.

3) Josh Naylor, OF/1B, San Diego Padres, ETA 2019. (8)

Naylor has already contributed to some big wins for the Friar Faithful since joining the San Diego Padres. His hitting has been his calling card, but with an above-average arm in the outfield and consistent playing time, he could become a regular fixture in San Diego. It just depends on where he fits in once other position players become healthy. Naylor could also be trade bait at the Trade Deadline, but hopefully he stays a Padre.

2) Luis Urias, 2B/SS, Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, ETA 2019. (3) 

Urias nothing at all left to prove at the minor league level and is tearing the ball off the cover, so why he hasn’t been called up yet is a bit baffling. He’s got great talent, but he’s playing positions where the Padres are currently well entrenched, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado respectively. Urias will also be on many other teams’ watchlist as the Trade Deadline approaches, especially if the Padres become buyers for a big-name free agent.

1) MacKenzie Gore, LHP, High-A Lake Elsinore Storm, ETA 2020. (7) 

Blister issues now a thing of the past, Gore is showing why he was the number three pick overall in 2017. His numbers in the California League are reflective of what Chris Paddack was putting up there before Paddack made it to San Diego. He’s currently 6-1 with a 1.23 ERA over 13 starts. It’d be a big leap to go from Single-A to a major league start this season, but don’t rule it out with his numbers being that good and the current Padres starters being this inconsistent.

For more coverage of the San Diego Padres’ prospects and minor league farm system, check out the Minors category at Friars on Base all season long.