NEW YORK -- The Padres' top-ranked farm system is starting to pay major dividends on their big league roster. That's partly because no team in baseball is shuttling its recent draftees to the big leagues more quickly than San Diego.

“Seeing the guys get up there at a fast pace is definitely exciting, because what we’re trying to do is impact the big leagues,” scouting director Mark Conner said. “Our job is always to find the best talent. The Draft is always the most exciting time of the year.”

The Padres get another chance to infuse their system starting today, when Conner and general manager A.J. Preller enter their fifth Draft at the helm.

The 2019 Draft will take place today through Wednesday, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. ET. MLB Network will broadcast the first 41 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 78 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, beginning with a preview show at 12:30 p.m. ET. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on Day 3, beginning at noon ET.

Go to MLB.com/Draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, mock Drafts from MLB Pipeline analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying.

Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Padres, whose first selection is the No. 6 overall pick.

In about 50 words
The Draft has been kind to the Padres in recent seasons -- particularly their pitching staff. Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi were the first two pitchers on any roster to arrive from the 2016 class. Now they're staples in the San Diego rotation. Cal Quantrill and Nick Margevicius have made an impact this season as well. In the system, MacKenzie Gore and Ryan Weathers are making names for themselves. Preller and Conner have established their chops for evaluating amateur talent. The only question: Who's next?

What they're saying
“Pitcher, middle of the diamond, that’s what we’re always looking for. We like middle-of-the-diamond athletes. But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t take a corner bat if it’s there and we like it. … We’re looking to take the best player available.” -- Conner

Who might they take?
Under Preller, the Padres have skewed toward pitching. But this year's Draft class features six big-name position players at the top, and it's possible San Diego merely snatches whichever of the six falls to them. That won't be catcher Adley Rutschman or shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. -- the consensus top two. They could end up with high school shortstop C.J. Abrams, Vanderbilt outfielder JJ Bleday or Cal first baseman Andrew Vaughn. But as things stand, MLB.com's Jim Callis has Riley Greene -- a lefty-hitting high-school outfielder with excellent bat-to-ball skills -- landing in San Diego.

Money matters
Each team has a bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds. (The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool.) The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total. Teams that exceed their limits will be taxed, with penalties varying based on the percentage by which that limit is exceeded. This year, the Padres have a pool of $10,758,900 to spend, including a suggested figure of $5,742,900 for their first pick.

Shopping list
The big league rotation is in a bit of flux, but the Padres' organizational pitching depth is top-notch. Preller wouldn't pass on a big-time arm. But more than anything, the Padres could use an impact bat -- preferably someone with elite on-base skills. Through the years, the front office has been adamant that it doesn't draft based on need. But there's no bigger need in San Diego than an OBP turnaround.

Trend watch
Pitching, pitching and more pitching. In the past three seasons, the Padres have used four first-round selections on pitchers. They've been open to taking risks on those pitchers, too, willing to ignore injury concerns in favor of upside. It’s worked out so far.

Recent first-round picks
2018: Ryan Weathers, LHP (Class A Fort Wayne)
2017: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore)
2016: Cal Quantrill, RHP (Triple-A El Paso); Eric Lauer, LHP (Padres); Hudson Potts, 3B (Double-A Amarillo)