Padres Top 55 Prospects

Kudos to Fangraphs for providing some great. Here are a few of the highlights.

Mackenzie Gore

“Though he doesn’t have great natural ability to spin the ball, Gore’s over-the-top arm slot enables him to get tumble on his curveball anyway, he has very advanced changeup feel, and his slider is firm. He’ll be able to locate what he wants, where he wants for as long as he retains his top-of-the-scale athleticism. He may be on a bit of an innings count this year just because he only threw 66 innings in 2018, but otherwise he’s quite advanced and could move through the minors fairly quickly.”

Interesting take here on his natural spin ability. Another youngster with inning limits. If he continues to dominate, I’m not sure they can keep him down next year. Could he break with the team April 2020? The way the Padres work, I’d say it’s highly possible.

Luis Urias

“Urias walked more than he struck out in every year of his pro career until 2018, when his K% rose all the way to 20%. Though he has always utilized a long, slow leg kick, Urias used to cut it down when he got into two-strike counts, something he didn’t do last year, probably in effort to hit for more power. He still managed to slash .296/.398/.447 as a 21-year-old in the hitter-friendly PCL and reached San Diego in September. Even with minor tweaks, Urias isn’t likely to hit for anything more than doubles power, but he should continue to be a plus bat who adds value on the bases and in the field à la Joey Wendle or Cesar Hernandez. Ian Kinsler‘s presence combined with Urias early-season struggles caused the Padres to demote Urias to Triple-A. He’s raking there and is still just the age of a college junior, so his initial numbers in the majors likely aren’t anything to worry about.”

Urias has yet to get a real chance to show he can play. He’s currently hitting the cover off the ball in AAA. If the next call up isn’t for good, it could stunt his growth. He needs to be able to fail AND flourish at the big league level if he has a future. He’ll likely be a contact hitter his entire career. It’s nice those still exist.

Francisco Mejia

“Before they traded him, Cleveland tried Mejia at third base and the outfield corners. San Diego seems inclined to just let him catch, but if Wil Myers’ defensive movement is any indication, they’re open to trying new things. There are probably certain types of pitchers that Mejia can catch without much issue, and it seems logical to pair him and Austin Hedges in a way that hides Mejia’s issues while he can work on them and still gets reps. If he does have to move to, say, right field, the lack of plate discipline becomes an issue because the offensive bar out there is much higher. The scouting report reads much like Jorge Alfaro’s, except Mejia is a switch-hitter with better natural bat control.”

Mejia broke camp as the backup to Austin Hedges. Problem? Both haven’t hit. Mejia was hitting .167 in 54 AB’s. He’s also not a great defender, but has certainly improved there. The analysis above suggests he can’t move to the outfield because the offensive bar is higher. So, he’s an average defender and an average hitter but the teams #6 prospect? I don’t agree with this ranking. As recently as last year I suggested the team move him for a mature starting pitcher. I still believe that he’s not the future behind the plate for the team.

Logan Allen

“Allen is a better athlete than one would likely surmise if they were just looking at him in the uniform. His fast-paced delivery is hard for hitters with a big leg kick to properly time the first time through the order, and once they’ve gotten a feel for his fastball, Allen pulls the string on his sinking, plus change-up. His strike-throwing has improved from slightly below-average to slightly above over the last 18 months or so, and Allen now comfortably projects as a No. 4 starter.”

Allen is the odds on favorite to be the next man up in the revolving 6th starter door. Gaslamp Ball predicts he’ll get a start before the all star break. His ceiling isn’t as high as some of the others on the list, but he has all the intangibles you’d want from a starter. He could have a place in the big league rotation for a long time. Plus, he’s friends with John Cena. That’s pretty cool.

Below is the link to the rankings. Let’s hear your thoughts and commentary below!

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-55-prospects-san-diego-padres/