Overlooked top prospect could form dynamic Padres duo with Leo De Vries

Most minor league fans are aware of Padres top prospects Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas. They both sit in the Top 100 among best prospects in the sport, but the talent doesn't run dry in San Diego's farm after those two young stars. There are some forgotten/overlooked players within the organization because of the headlines that those two guys steal, but one hitter to give a look at is De Vries' teammate at High-A Fort Wayne is Rosman Verdugo.

Verdugo is a 20-year-old third baseman who exudes bottomless power, and even supercedes De Vries in a few categories. Sitting at No. 24 in the Padres' best prospect pool, Friars fans should get to know Verdugo.

Padres' Rosman Verdugo could form duo with Leo De Vries

Still a couple of years away from Major League Baseball, Verdugo and De Vries could be the future of the Padres' left side of the infield. They are tops on the team in OPS this season, with Verdugo entering Sunday at .826.

In 40 games, Verdugo has mashed eight home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 26 RBIs, and 15 walks. And just like De Vries, Verdugo is capable of putting together some jaw-dropping games at the plate.

This season, Verdugo has a pair of two-home run games, as well as six multi-RBI contests. He's capable of carrying the production at the plate, which makes his project-ability rarther favorable. San Diego could definitely use a guy at the hot corner once Manny Machado's days of manning third base are over, and it could possibly be Verdugo.

The one thing he needs to work on is his strikeout rate. He's gone down on strikes 63 times in 147 at-bats, which is a similar rate to prior seasons. As it stands, he seems like he is hit or miss at the plate, but his early production should definitely stick out as he is trading off big games with De Vries nightly.