Padres top prospect Sean Reynolds set to make Padres bullpen even stronger

As the Padres head into a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, they somehow sit at phenomenal 19-11 in the standings. Despite an embarrassing sweep to the Rays last weekend, the Friars bounced back with two wins against the San Francisco Giants to get the good vibes going again. In both of those wins, the exceptional Padres bullpen held the lead for three-plus innings as Robert Suarez picked up his league-leading 11th and 12th saves.

With so much early success, top prospect Sean Reynolds (ranked No. 15 per MLB.com) has been lurking in the shadows. Reynolds, who held an ERA of 0.82 across nine appearances for the Padres last season, has been rehabbing a stress reaction in his right foot since February. After missing all of spring training, Reynolds has made three rehab appearances for Triple-A El Paso, and has yet to allow a hit or run.

Reynolds' performance in 2024 left Padres' fans hopeful for his future within the bullpen, as his 21 strikeouts across 11 innings put him amongst the elite relievers in the league (for fun, his K/9 of 17.2 mirrors Arnoldis Chapman's best season). While no one expects that of Reynolds, the results, development, and draft pedigree project a strong reliever. His fastball and slider are both plus pitches, and while he was not used in a high-leverage role last season, the Padres have the luxury of easing him into the fold given they currently employ six relievers with sub-2.00 ERAs (and some who look like early All Star candidaes).

And while his injury and conditioning make this unlikely, there is a world where Reynolds could start for the Friars in a quasi-bullpen game. The back-half of the rotation has been bumpy this year, and letting Reynolds find his feet at the MLB level with a couple of starts could be the route that's best for both the team and Reynolds.

No matter what role he finds himself filling for the Padres, Reynolds offers a great unknown for an already humming team as they chase the Dodgers in the National League West.