Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2026 | 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-90’s fastball and excellent changeup alongside a serviceable slider. That’s a lot of stuff for a lefty starter, and Mayfield dominated with it throughout high school, winning his state’s (Oklahoma) Gatorade Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons leading up to the draft. The Low-A level brought more of the same: Mayfield recorded a 2.97 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 60.2 innings across 19 starts. You can see the kids-gloves approach in the roughly three innings pitched per game started, so the numbers here get a little padded by avoiding the difficulties of facing a lineup multiple times in a night, but Mayfield did have three straight five-inning starts near the end of the season and dominated those nights, too, allowing just two runs and piling up 23 strikeouts.
2. C Ethan Salas | 19 | AA | 2028
At 6’1” pounds, Salas moves smoothly behind the dish while receiving and framing with a deft touch that’s a decade beyond his years. With a bat in his hands, he’s less impressive, making him an overrated prospect for our game since he signed for a then-record $5.6 million. He missed all but ten games of 2025 due to a stress reaction in his lower back. Not ideal. I suspect he could’ve been had at a relative discount during this year’s trading deadline, and the fact that he didn’t end up dealt might suggest other teams have some doubts.
3. LHP Kruz Schoolcraft | 18 | A | 2030
With the 25th pick in the draft for the second consecutive season, San Diego took another towering high school lefty with good velocity and an excellent changeup. At 6’8” 229 pounds, Schoolcraft has the frame to be incredibly deceptive if he can find the right delivery in terms of extension and balance. He pitched just one game for Low-A this year, but even that is pretty aggressive for a high school pitcher. Mayfield the year before, for example, didn’t pitch until the following season.
4. RHP Miguel Mendez | 23 | AA | 2026
Here’s what I wrote in Prospect News: Pay The Troll Tolle or A Good Day For McLean:
“It’s always interesting to see which prospects AJ Preller hangs onto because it’s probably that prospect was part of many trade negotiations as he climbed the organizational ladder. Currently, this attention lands on Padres RHP Miguel Mendez (23, AA), who threw six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts in his Double-A debut after posting a 1.32 ERA in 61.1 High-A frames spread across 12 starts. That’s a pretty large IP per GS ratio for a lower minors arm, let alone one with such pristine ratios. Usually guys build numbers this crazy by working in short bursts. Listed at 6’2” 165 lbs, Mendez has added strength and balance throughout his delivery, which has helped his command and velocity tick up. 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 for $1.7 million with Milwaukee in 2024 as the highest paid player in their class then got dealt to San Diego along with Nestor Cortes and cash in exchange for Brandon Lockridge. Kind of an odd trade, but Milwaukee had a pile of pitchers and wanted to shuffle the deck. It’s a little concerning to see the Brewers cash in their chips this early on Quintana, but he remains a high upside teenage infielder at 6’2” 183 pounds who a smart organization scouted and paid more than they did Jesus Made.
6. OF Yonathan Perlaza | 27 | AAA | 2026
Perlaza went to the KBO for the 2024 season but returned to San Diego to battle for a spot in 2025. He never got the big league call but slashed .307/.391/.507 with 19 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 138 Triple-A games. He also got better throughout the year, hitting 13 of those home runs and batting .335 over his final 71 games. AJ Preller takes a lot of fliers on corner bats and connects on his fair share, making Perlaza a deep league option for in the upcoming season.
7. OF Tirso Ornelas | 26 | MLB | 2025
I think Ornelas owes me rent given how long he’s lived on this list, but no matter what happens next, this will be the final year. He’s listed as a starting outfielder on Roster Resource right now, and while that’s almost certainly not how it’s going to look on Opening Day, Ornelas figures to spend most of the season in the majors in some capacity. Ideally, he provides 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 cracks the lineup.
8. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez | 22 | MLB | 2025
A power pitcher with a 99 mph fastball, Rodriguez is listed at 6’1” 160 lbs, and while he’s a little heavier than that at a glance, he’s still got room on the frame for good weight, muscle, and perhaps even velocity. He posted excellent numbers across three levels in 2024 then dominated again at Double-A in 2025. He struggled with command in 14 Triple-A innings but was good (1.17 ERA) during his seven inning stint in San Diego. He is also the only player who comes up if you type “Bradg” into Baseball Reference. San Diego
9. 1B Kale Fountain | 20 | A | 2029
A nightmare wedding idea. Also: a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Fountain signed for a deal that was well over-slot at $1.7 million to buy him out of a commitment to LSU. His carrying tool is easy raw power from a 6’5” 225 lb frame, but that hasn’t actualized in games just yet. He slashed just .195/.311/.260 during a 34-game stretch with Low-A despite a 23 percent strikeout rate. Passivity might be part of the problem for the young righty, who should be better in his second look at full-season ball.
10. 1B OF Alex McCoy | 24 | A | 2028
AJ Preller has a few types. One of them is enormous people with surprising athleticism for their size. Enter McCoy, an undrafted free agent who played one year at Hofstra after spending two with Maryland-Eastern Shore, who plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. At 6’6” 260 pounds from the right side, McCoy will have to mash every step of the way to keep his name in the conversation. So far so good on that front, as he slashed .315/.393/.521 with seven home runs and 14 steals in 58 games across two levels this year. The real tests begin in High-A, I suppose, but he’s a fun name to track for now.
Thanks for reading!
