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Earlier I was curious about the oldest Padres player each season, and while I was compiling the list for that I went ahead and noted the youngest player for each season. So, here you go:
1969-70 - Jerry Morales, 20-21
1971 - Jay Franklin, 18
1972 - Randy Elliott, 21
1973 - Bob Davis, 21
1974-75 - Jerry Turner, 20-21
1976 - Mike Champion, 21
1977 - Brian Greer, 18
1978 - Jim Beswick, 20
1979 - Greer, 20
1980 - George Stablein, 22
1981 - Doug Gwosdz, 21
1982-83 - Joe Lansford, 21-22
1984 - Carmelo Martinez, 23
1985 - Lance McCullers, 21
1986 - Benito Santiago, 21
1987 - Shawn Abner, 21
1988 - Roberto Alomar, 20
1989 - Andy Benes, 21
1990 - Rafael Valdez, 22
1991 - Ricky Bones, 22
1992 - Gary Sheffield, 23
1993-94 - Melvin Nieves, 21-22
1995 - Marc Kroon, 22
1996 - Dario Veras, 23
1997 - Derrek Lee, 21
1998 - Ben Davis, 21
1999 - Buddy Carlyle, 21
2000 - Xavier Nady, 21
2001 - Cesar Crespo, 22
2002-03 - Oliver Perez, 20-21
2004 - Justin Germano, 21
2005 - Tim Stauffer, 23
2006 - Cla Meredith, 23
2007 - Chase Headley, 23
2008 - Matt Antonelli, 23
2009-10 - Mat Latos, 21-22
2011 - Anthony Rizzo, 21
2012 - Joe Wieland, 22
2013 - Reymond Fuentes, 22
2014 - Rymer Liriano, 23
2015 - Austin Hedges, 22
2016 - Manuel Margot, 21
2017 - Luis Torrens, 20
(All of the links go to Gaslamp Ball posts. The Tim Stauffer one is especially good.)
-Franklin was one of two 18-year-olds on the 1971 Padres; the other was that year’s top overall draft pick, catcher Mike Ivie.
-Seven players have been the youngest in two seasons, with Greer the only one to do it in non-consecutive seasons; he spent all of 1978 in the minor leagues between his one game with the Padres in ‘77 and his four in ‘79 that comprised his entire big league career.
-Santiago was a September call-up in 1986, beating out a slightly older Rule-5 pick who spent all season with the big club, Bip Roberts.