Padres mock draft hints A.J. Preller could be changing his first-round script

At some point, every Padres mock draft starts to feel like it comes with the same script. They look for the most interesting high school arm on the board. Make sure he has a high ceiling and just go for it. 

Upside is the most common personality trait when drafting under A.J. Preller. Safe college performers don’t really seem to be their thing in the first round. But the latest MLB Pipeline mock draft offered a slightly different kind of Padres wrinkle, and it is worth paying attention to.

Pipeline projected the Padres to take Cole Prosek (still, a high schooler), a third baseman/catcher from Magnolia Heights in Mississippi, with the No. 21 pick. The explanation is pretty interesting.

The note still gave San Diego its usual connection to prep pitching. If Gio Rojas falls because teams get nervous about high school arms in the first round, the Padres apparently wouldn’t let him slip past them. But then came the pivot: San Diego may be more likely to pop a high school bat such as Trevor Condon, Prosek or Landon Thome (Jim Thome’s son).

Cole Prosek would keep the Padres risky without feeling predictable

A high school bat is not exactly a conservative pick. A prep hitter from Mississippi vs. a low-maintenance college senior who will be in Double-A tomorrow is quite a choice.

But Prosek is not the same kind of gamble. He’s risky in the normal draft sense, but the attraction is different. It’s a bat-first profile, though the kid can also pitch. It’s a fascinating shift, and the opposite of what they did the year before with a two-way player. Kruz Schoolcraft was interested in trying both, but the Padres liked him as a pitcher. Prosek, who could try to be a two-way player at Ole Miss if the draft route does not line up, would be drafted for his bat.

Prosek has been one of the most productive high school hitters in the country. A batting average around .595, 18 home runs, 79 RBI and a 1.899 OPS in his senior season. Good luck emulating that in MLB The Show. 

Of course, prep stats have to be handled carefully. Prosek brings a short left-handed swing, advanced barrel feel and enough strength to project more power as he grows into professional baseball. MLB Pipeline grades his hit tool as his carrying trait, and that should carry some intrigue for a team that will be trying to revamp and build out its offense over the next several seasons. 

If everyone can look at the board and say, “The Padres probably take the high school arm,” then maybe the more interesting move is to take the high school bat with a legitimate hit tool. Prosek sounds like a good addition to the Padres farm system. He’s young, athletic, and has a ton of defensive versatility. 

But he would also feel like a slightly different pick, and that’s the part that makes this mock draft worth more than a casual scroll.

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