Format = Player Position | Age on 1-4-2026 | Highest level played | Estimated time of arrival
1. LHP Kash Mayfield | 21 | A | 2029
The 25th overall pick in 2024, Mayfield is listed at 6’4″, 200 pounds and features a mid-90s fastball and excellent transition in addition to a serviceable slider. That’s a lot for a left-handed starter, and Mayfield dominated throughout high school, winning his state’s (Oklahoma) Gatorade Player of the Year in consecutive seasons prior to the draft. The Low-A level brought more of the same: Mayfield recorded a ERA of 2.97 with 88 strikeouts in 60.2 innings across 19 starts. You can see the kid’s gloves approach in the roughly three innings pitched per game started, so the numbers are padded out a bit here by avoiding the difficulties that come with facing a lineup multiple times a night, but Mayfield had three consecutive five-inning starts toward the end of the season and dominated those nights as well, allowing just two runs and piling up 23 strikeouts.
2. C Ethan Salas | 19 | AA | 2028
At 6-foot-4, Salas moves smoothly behind the dish as he receives and frames with a deft touch that’s a decade older than his age. He’s less impressive with a bat in his hands, making him an overrated prospect for our game since he signed for a then-record $5.6 million. He missed all but ten of the 2025 games due to a stress reaction in his lower back. Not ideal. I suspect he could have been traded at a relative discount at this year’s trade deadline, and the fact that he ultimately didn’t get a deal could indicate that other teams are having doubts.
3. LHP Kruz Schoolcraft | 18 | A | 2030
With the 25th pick in the draft for the second consecutive season, San Diego once again took a towering lefty in high school with good speed and an excellent changeup. At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds, Schoolcraft has the frame to be incredibly deceptive if he can find the right performance in terms of extension and balance. He only pitched one game for Low-A this year, but even that is pretty aggressive for a high school pitcher. For example, Mayfield the year before didn’t pitch until the following season.
4. RHP Miguel Mendez | 23 | AA | 2026
This is what I wrote in Prospect News: Pay The Troll Tolle of A Good Day For McLean:
“It’s always interesting to see which prospects AJ Preller holds on to, as it’s likely that prospect was part of many trade discussions as he climbed the organizational ladder. Currently, this focus is on Padres RHP Miguel Mendez (23, AA), who pitched six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his Double-A debut after posting a 1.32 ERA in 61.1 High-A frames across 12 starts. That’s a pretty big IP per GS ratio for an arm of lower minors, let alone one with such impeccable ratios. Usually guys build crazy numbers like that by working in short bursts. At 6’2″ 165 lbs, Mendez has added strength and balance in his delivery, which has helped improve his command and speed. His fastball and slider are both pushing double plus. Probably time to add him where you can fit him.”
5. SS/3B Jorge Quintana | 18 | A | 2030
Signed with Milwaukee for $1.7 million in 2024 as the highest-paid player in his league, then was dealt along with Nestor Cortes and cash in San Diego in exchange for Brandon Lockridge. Kind of an odd trade, but Milwaukee had a stack of pitchers and wanted to shuffle the deck. It’s a bit concerning to see the Brewers cash in their chips on Quintana so early, but he remains a 6-foot-4, 183-pound teenage infielder who was scouted by a smart organization and paid more than Jesus Made.
6. BY Yonathan Perlaza | 27 | AAA | 2026
Perlaza transferred to the KBO for the 2024 season, but returned to San Diego to compete for a spot in 2025. He never got the big league call up, but slashed .307/.391/.507 with 19 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 138 Triple-A games. He also improved throughout the year, hitting 13 of those home runs and batting .335 in his last 71 games. AJ Preller takes a lot of fliers at corner bats and connects with his fair share, making Perlaza a deep league option for the upcoming season.
7. FROM BOBY Orient | 26 | MLB | 2025
I think Ornelas owes me rent considering how long he’s been on this list, but no matter what, this will be the last year. He is currently listed as a starting outfielder on Roster Resource, and while that is almost certainly not how things will look on Opening Day, Ornelas expects him to spend most of the season in the Majors in some capacity. Ideally, he’ll provide consistency and a professional approach against even tough righties, but he’s a bit limited defensively and won’t have a long leash if/when he makes the lineup.
8. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez | 22 | MLB | 2025
Rodriguez is a power pitcher with a 99 mph fastball and is listed at 6-foot-1, and while he’s slightly heavier than that at a glance, he still has room on the frame for good weight, muscle and maybe even speed. He put up excellent numbers at three levels in 2024 and then dominated again at Double-A in 2025. He struggled with the lead in 14 Triple-A innings, but was good (1.17 ERA) during his seven-inning stint in San Diego is also the only player that shows up when you type “Bradg” into Baseball Reference
9. 1B Kale Fountain | 20 | A | 2029
A nightmare wedding idea. Also: Fountain was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft and signed a deal that was well overpriced at $1.7 million to buy him out of a commitment to LSU. His carry is easy raw power from a 6’5″, 225 lb frame, but that hasn’t materialized in games yet. He slashed just .195/.311/.260 during a 34-game stint with Low-A, despite a 23 percent strikeout rate. Passivity could be part of the problem for the young right-hander, who should be better in his second attempt at regular season ball.
10. 1B BY Alex McCoy | 24 | A | 2028
AJ Preller has a few types. One of these is enormous humans with surprising athleticism for their size. Enter McCoy, an undrafted free agent who played one year at Hofstra after spending two at Maryland-Eastern Shore, which plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds from the right side, McCoy will have to make every move to keep his name in the conversation. So far, things are going well on that front, as he’s slashing .315/.393/.521 with seven home runs and 14 steals in 58 games at two levels this year. The real testing starts in High-A, I think, but he’s a fun name to follow for now.
Thanks for reading!
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