2016 Draft review. Where are they now?

It’s draft season once again! Time to look back at some of our recent drafts and re-grade them. It’s always fun to play this game.

The 2016 MLB draft hasn’t seen many players get to the show yet, but the Padres are fortunate to have a handful of them.

Cal (still want to call him Paul) Quantrill, Joey Lucchesi and Eric Lauer are examples of high draft picks that have already made it the big leagues. Lucchesi has had the most success early on, but Quantrill looks like he has a chance to stick as well. Lauer has been up and down. He was the opening day starter for the team, but needs to correct some flaws to stick long term. The Padres have some young talent waiting to break through, so it pushes prospects like him in a different way.

All told, it’s really impressive to see so many draft picks move through the system. The front office has done a great job sourcing talent. Several top prospects are on the list as well.

Grade: B+

1 (8) -- Cal Quantrill, RHP, Stanford-

Currently the 6th starter in a rotation that is dealing with inning limits. Quantrill has good stuff and seemingly could become a #4 or #5 starter. If he can stay out of trouble early in ballgames, he’ll have a chance of sticking with the club. Rated as the teams #27 prospect.

1 (24) -- Hudson Sanchez(Potts), 3B, Southlake (Texas) Carroll HS-

Potts has done OK over the last few years, but he’s not hitting in AA this year. At the time he was considered a reach pick for the Padres. He’s still just 20 years old, so the best is yet to come. He’s moved away from 3B since Machado came to town. Keep an eye on this one over the next 2 years. Baseball draft picks are always a toss up, but that proves even more true with kids coming out of high school. Rated as the teams #12 prospect.

1 (25) -- Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State

Made it to the majors last year. Has been up and down over his short career, but did start opening day. Lauer rose through the ranks very quickly. 2017 was his only full year in the minors. He’s shown flashes of brilliance at the big league level, so it’s looking like there’s a good chance he sticks long term as a left handed finesse pitcher. Looks like a middle of the rotation type.

2 (48) -- Buddy Reed, OF, Florida

Stole 52 bases last year and hit .270. He strikes out. A lot. He really hasn’t done anything well in AA this year. Over his career he’s hit on and off. His speed is clearly his biggest asset, so it’ll be interesting to watch this raw talent. If he can improve his plate discipline, he’ll climb quickly. Rated as the Padres #26 prospect.

LOT B (71) -- Reggie Lawson, RHP, Victor Valley HS (Victorville, California)

Worked as a starter over the 1st few years of his career. Has a 5.09 ERA throughout that time. He strikes out a lot, but his WHIP is just too high. This youngster has all the tools to be an effective pitcher on a big league roster. Still just 21, another one to watch. 2-3 years away. Rated as the #19 prospect.

3 (85) -- Mason Thompson, RHP, Round Rock HS (Texas) Did not pitch well at Fort Wayne, and is currently getting shelled in A+ ball Lake Elsinore. Young pitcher, but another who really hasn’t had any success early on. He’s one of a handful of High School draftees that take longer to develop. It’ll be fun to monitor his progress this year. Rated as the #25 prospect.

4 (114) -- Joey Lucchesi, LHP, Southeast Missouri State Yes, that would be Joey. He moved quickly through the minors and is on the MLB roster. Joey looks like he belongs as a #3 or #4 starter on any roster. If he limits the “nibbling” and goes after hitters, he’ll naturally start going deeper into games. It’s worth mentioning that he was the first pitcher from the entire draft to reach the majors.

5 (144) -- Lake Bachar, RHP, UW-Whitewater

He has pitched well in A ball, but yet to find a good rhythm is AA. He has a 5.72 career ERA in AA ball, so hopefully the 24 year old can find himself. His 1st start with High A Lake Elsinore went well. This is a critical year for his development.

6 (174) -- Will Stillman, RHP, Wofford

Never rose above A ball. Got shelled and released. Spent the end of last year in the independent league. Out of baseball.

7 (204) -- Dan Dallas, LHP, Canisius HS (Buffalo, N.Y.)

The 21 year old pitched well over his first few years in the system. 2019 has him in A ball, but he’s not off to a great start. He’s a strikeout machine, but also walks nearly 5 per 9 IP. Having a lefty with his talent coming out of the bullpen would be huge for the team. He’s still at least 2-3 years away from cracking the roster. Could get a spring training in 2021.

8 (234) -- Benjamin Sheckler, LHP, Cornerstone University

Didn’t do much over 3 seasons. Tried him as a starter and reliever. Mostly ineffective and released in March of this year.

9 (264) -- Jesse Scholtens, RHP, Wright State

Pitched primarily as a starter over 3+ seasons. Risen as high as AAA, but hit hard in El Paso last year. 25 year old is a strike thrower, but not sure if he’ll be more than a Middle Reliever in the bigs. We’ll keep an eye on this one as the potential is certainly there, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together yet.

10 (294) -- Boomer White, 2B, Texas A&M

Released after a year and a half. Rose as high as High A ball. He hit pretty well for Tri-city, but the team didn’t see a future for him and moved on early.

Anytime you have 3 Top 10 draft picks reach the majors within 3 seasons, it’s impressive. It is a little disappointing that they haven’t been able to develop their home grown hitters, but the organization is well aware of that. All told, the Front Office should get a hearty hand shake for their work. Quantrill, Lucchesi and Lauer are all making a big impact for the team this year. We’ll continue to monitor their development.

We’ll keep a keen eye on the development of both Hudson Potts and Buddy Reed as well. Potts seems to have more upside, but they have each sputtered early in 2019. We’ll check in on their progress in the coming months.