Here’s the Padres’ new Top 30 Prospects list
Joe Trezza
@JoeTrezzThe Padres’ Top 30 Prospect list has a whole new look.
Few teams in baseball turned over their farm systems more during the season than San Diego, which was able to execute three big Trade Deadline deals by virtue of the strength of its prospect depth. As a result, the Padres' big league team and farm system both look radically different than they did even just a few weeks ago.
At the Major League level, in are Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Josh Hader and Brandon Drury. On the farm, out are prospect-list headliners C.J. Abrams, Mackenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III and others. General manager AJ Preller parted with eight prospects at this year’s Deadline alone, seven that were ranked in San Diego’s preseason Top 30.
Preller spent years reshaping the Padres' farm system into one of baseball’s deepest and most talented. He has now routinely mined that depth to turn San Diego into the contender it is now. Here is a snapshot of where the system is now that the dust has settled:
Here’s a look at the Padres' top prospects:
1. Jackson Merrill, SS (No. 88 overall)
2. Luis Campusano, C, (No. 98 overall)
3. Dylan Lesko, RHP
4. Robby Snelling, LHP
5. Samuel Zavala, OF
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: Jairo Iriarte, RHP (Preseason: NR | Midseason: 11) -- A 20-year-old righty with two plus pitches, Iriarte returned to the California League this spring and fared much better than in a small sample last summer.
While the results haven’t been great (5.23 ERA), Iriarte has slashed his walk rate and increased his strikeout totals in his first extended stay at Single-A.
Fall: Brandon Valenzuela, C (Preseason: 21 | Midseason: 30) -- Always projected as more of a defensive-minded catcher, Valenzuela flashed offensive upside at Single-A in 2021 with six homers and a .833 OPS, earning a late-season promotion to High-A. But his bat regressed this summer back at High-A, where he has experienced a nearly 200-point drop in OPS.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
No. 3 Dylan Lesko, RHP (2022 Draft, 1st round)
No. 4 Robby Snelling, LHP (2022 Draft, Competitive Balance Round A)
No. 7 Adam Mazur, RHP (2022 Draft, 2nd round)
No. 9 Henry Williams, RHP (2022 Draft, 3rd round)
No. 22 Lamar King Jr., C (2022 Draft, 4th round)
Impact callup
Luis Campusano, C (No. 2/MLB No. 98)
San Diego has kept rotating between Austin Nola and Jorge Alfaro behind the plate this season. In fact, they’re the only two players to start a game at catcher for the Padres in 2022. Campusano isn’t likely to break up the pair on his own. Should an injury occur to either, it should help the National League Wild Card contenders that they have a right-handed slugger with above-average hit and power tools waiting in El Paso. Campusano is hitting .308/.373/.491 with 11 homers in 70 games during his second Triple-A season.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 55 -- Jackson Merrill (Luis Campusano, Samuel Zavala)
Power: 60 -- Joshua Mears
Run: 70 -- Korry Howell
Arm: 65 -- Eguy Rosario
Field: 60 -- Korry Howell
Fastball: 70 -- Ray Kerr
Curveball: 60 -- Robby Snelling
Slider: 60 -- Adam Mazur (Jackson Wolf)
Changeup: 70 -- Dylan Lesko
Control: 55 -- Dylan Lesko (Jagger Haynes, Alek Jacob)