ESPN thinks that Barfield has the job.
And Barfield has lived up to his billing as the Padres' No. 3 prospect by showing improved plate discipline and driving the ball to all fields.
"I want him to keep grinding, but he hasn't done anything to make us believe he shouldn't have the job," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "He's been by far our best player in camp."
I'm going to start using the term "clock" all the time and when Barfield makes a play "He knows what time it is!"
This spring Barfield is playing the hops more proficiently and showing what scouts call a better "clock" in the field.
"He knows the runners a little bit now -- when he needs to rush and when he has time to make a play," Towers said. "I've seen a huge difference in him defensively."