With the Minor League season kicking off, here's where the Padres’ Top 30 Prospects are projected to start:
1. Kruz Schoolcraft (MLB No. 85), LHP -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
2. Ethan Salas, C -- San Antonio (Double-A)
3. Miguel Mendez, RHP -- San Antonio (Double-A)
4. Kash Mayfield, LHP -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
5. Humberto Cruz, RHP -- Injured (internal brace surgery rehab)
6. Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP -- San Diego (MLB)
7. Jorge Quintana, SS -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
8. Ty Harvey, C -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
9. Ryan Wideman, OF -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
10. Kale Fountain, 1B/3B/OF -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
11. Tucker Musgrove, RHP -- Extended spring training
12. Braedon Karpathios, OF -- San Antonio (Double-A)
13. Michael Salina, RHP -- Injured (Tommy John rehab)
14. Garrett Hawkins, RHP -- El Paso (Triple-A)
15. Jagger Haynes, LHP -- San Antonio (Double-A)
16. Lamar King Jr., C/1B -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
17. Joniel Hernandez, SS -- Extended spring training (Dominican Republic)
18. Lan-Hong Su, RHP -- Extended spring training
19. Kannon Kemp, RHP -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
20. Luis Gutierrez, LHP -- San Antonio (Double-A)
21. Alex McCoy, OF -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
22. Diego Serna, LHP -- Extended spring training (Dominican Republic)
23. Jhoan De La Cruz, SS/2B -- Extended spring training
24. Truitt Madonna, C -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
25. Tirso Ornelas, OF -- Extended spring training
26. Deivid Coronil, 3B/SS -- Extended spring training (Dominican Republic)
27. Kavares Tears, OF -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
28. Romeo Sanabria, 1B -- San Antonio (Double-A)
29. Bryan Balzer, RHP -- Lake Elsinore (Single-A)
30. Jaxon Dalena, RHP -- Fort Wayne (High-A)
COMPLETE PADRES PROSPECT COVERAGE
Team to watch
All eyes will be on Salas in what will be his third year seeing time at Double-A since his first appearance with Double-A San Antonio in 2023. The former Top 100 prospect has seen his stock slide after down performance and a back injury that limited him to 10 Double-A games in ‘25, but early reports are promising this spring on both sides of the ball.
Right-hander Mendez heads to San Antonio to build on his 2025 breakout that pushed him onto the 40-man roster, and outfielder Karpathios is one of the best development stories in the org as a former nondrafted free agent signing who is now two stops away from San Diego.
Players we could see in MLB in 2026
Rodriguez made the San Diego bullpen out of Spring Training, and with his pair of upper-90s fastballs and a plus-plus changeup, he could work his way into a high-leverage role at just 22 years old. Mendez and Hawkins were added to the 40-man roster as Rule 5 protection in the offseason, and both have the fastball grades to become MLB options in ‘26. A sleeper here could be the 22-year-old Gutierrez – a control-over-stuff left-hander who posted a 3.31 ERA over 125 innings across all four full-season affiliates in 2025.
New faces
Single-A Lake Elsinore will be filled with players finding their footing in the San Diego system between last year’s Draft class (Schoolcraft, Harvey, Wideman, Madonna) and a Trade Deadline acquisition in Quintana. Schoolcraft, in particular, could be in line for a breakout as a full-time pitcher after transitioning away from his two-way status as an Oregon high-schooler. Keep an eye out for how fifth-rounder Harvey and 11th-rounder Madonna split catching duties in the California League.
On the shelf
Cruz was only 18 when he underwent internal brace surgery in the middle of last season, and the Mexican right-hander stood out most for his polish at that age – a trait he’ll need to reestablish once healthy. Salina – last year’s fourth-round pick out of St. Bonaventure – underwent Tommy John surgery in the April before the Draft, but the Padres think he can be an intriguing arm if his mid-90s velocity and above-average slider return after the procedure. Ornelas was outrighted off the 40-man roster in the offseason and suffered an abdominal strain in Spring Training; he remains in Arizona making up for his lost at-bats before likely heading to Triple-A El Paso.
One non-injury note: Musgrove was a pop-up name last year with electric stuff but managed only 25 1/3 innings between Lake Elsinore and the Arizona Fall League. He’s been held back in Arizona as the Padres try to manage his workload entering his age-24 season, but he should join High-A Fort Wayne by the middle of April.
How to watch
Fans can watch Minor League Baseball games for free on the Bally Sports Live app or at BallySports.com. Fans may also purchase an MLB+ subscription, which includes access to MiLB games live and on demand, in addition to live MLB audio for all 30 teams, MLBNetwork and MLB Big Inning. Plus -- with or without a subscription -- Minor League games featuring MLB's top prospects are available in the MiLB Free Game of the Day.