Padres prospects: 2 Friars minor leaguers earn Player of the Month honors

San Diego Padres prospects have definitely gotten their fair share of recognition recently. This past week, Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas each cracked the Top 25 prospects list in all of baseball, showcasing some strong potential for the future.

Two other prospects, Henry Baez and Lamar King Jr., were given awards this past week, too. Baez - with Double-A San Antonio - and King Jr. - with Single-A Lake Elsinore - were each named Minor League Players of the Month for June.

Baez, San Diego's No. 12 prospect, was named the Texas League Player of the Month. The 22-year-old right-hander surrendered just three earned runs across 24 innings (1.13 ERA) in June, all while striking out 23.

In five June starts, he scattered just 14 hits and issued seven walks. On the season, Baez boasts a 2.38 ERA in 16 total starts. In six of those outings, Baez has gone 5 2/3 innings or more in a scoreless effort each time. It might be time to promote him to Triple-A El Paso.

King Jr. was named the California League Player of the Month after batting .408 in June with 11 doubles, a triple, and nine RBIs. He hit safely in 16 out of 20 games, including a five-hit performance, a four-hit performance, and a pair of three-hit games.

King Jr., the 29th ranked prospect in the Padres' farm, ended the month riding a 10-game hitting streak, and scored a run in seven of the last eight contests.

The 21-year-old catcher is hitting an even .300 this season (entering July 4) with 34 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and 46 runs across 65 games in Single-A.

King Jr. and Salas are each projected to reach Major League Baseball in 2027, which could make for an interesting battle at starting catcher. This could be a good problem to have, considering the Padres have not been very productive at catcher in 2025.