Padres prospect report: Bateman progresses, Lizarraga settles in, King Jr. pops off

Through his first six appearances of the 2025 season, Boston Bateman was struggling on the mound. The Padres' third best pitching prospect (and No. 5 overall) held a 4.78 ERA through his first 26 1/3 frames, but has settled down since then.

The southpaw, in each of his last four starts, has been much more stable. Bateman has surrendered just one earned in each of those outings, dropping his ERA down a full run. His biggest problem to begin the season was piecing together multiple solid starts in a row, but now, the 2025 Spring Breakout selectee might be on track to having a great season with Single-A Lake Elsinore.

Another minor leaguer to monitor is Victor Lizarraga, ranked No. 13 overall in San Diego's organization. The 21-year-old right-hander posted a 9.47 ERA and .327 BAA through the middle of May with Double-A San Antonio, but something has clicked for him recently. In his last three outings, which spans 13 1/3 innings, Lizarraga has only surrendered one total run on 11 hits with 11 strikeouts. His ERA has plummeted from 9.47 to 6.64, showing signs of growth in his second Double-A campaign.

While top catching prospect Ethan Salas is sidelined with an injury, Friars fans can get familiar with Lamar King Jr., ranked No. 29 in the organization. With Single-A Lake Elsinore, King Jr. just put together a monster game on June 4. In the 10-6 win over Modesto, King Jr. strung together a five-hit performance, adding two RBIs, one double, one stolen base, and one run scored. It was his 13th multi-hit game of the season.

The 21-year-old is batting .264 this season with a .340 OBP, racking up 28 RBIs and 13 doubles in his first 46 games of the year.

Padres minor league schedule: June 9-15

Triple-A El Paso (33-30): Six-game road series at Round Rock (Rangers)

Double-A San Antonio (31-26): Six-game road series at Amarillo (Diamondbacks)

High-A Fort Wayne (29-28): Six-game home series vs. South Bend (Cubs)

Single-A Lake Elsinore (27-30): Six-game home series vs. Visalia (Diamondbacks)