Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. SS Jackson Merrill | 20 | AA | 2024
Supreme contact skills from the left side give Merrill a fantastic base from which to develop his game over the next decade. He struck out just 62 times in 114 games across two levels last year, posting a 111 wRC+ in High-A and a 104 in Double-A despite being 4.3 years younger than the league average age. He’ll open in Triple-A and could look ready for the majors in April. There’s a chance the club trades Ha-Seong Kim and/or Jake Cronenworth this winter and opens an early avenue for Merrill.
2. C Ethan Salas | 17 | AA | 2025
I’ll never have Salas on any rosters. Nothing against him, really, just a matter of public-facing, real-baseball lists running him so high up the rankings that there’s no road back to dynasty baseball value. He’s already a top ten prospect in most places, and he’s just nowhere near that for our purposes. He’s in Double-A at 17, but he hit just .200 for nine games in High-A, so that’s an artificial placement to say the least. He’ll likely open back in High-A and should have to hit his way out. There’s absolutely no rush. At 6’2” 185 lbs, Salas moves smoothly behind the dish and receives and frames with a deft touch that’s a decade beyond his years. With a bat in his hands, he’s a dangerous lefty power hitter with a discerning eye. An elite prospect to be sure. Just not an ideal building block for our game.
3. LHP Robby Snelling | 20 | AA | 2024
I know the Juan Soto trade had more to do with money than anything else, but Snelling is the main reason I didn’t understand why they were so focused on flipping Soto for pitching prospects. You want a Michael King? But it’s just rare to see a team send out a superstar and get so little positional talent in return, no offense to Kyle Higashioka. With Snelling, Lesko and Iriarte, San Diego already had some promising arms in the high minors. A plus athlete at 6’3” 210 lbs, Snelling was a highly touted quarterback and linebacker out of high school and brings that combination of toughness and aptitude to the mound. In 22 games across three levels, he pitched 103.2 innings with 118 strikeouts, 34 walks and a 1.82 ERA.
4. RHP Drew Thorpe | 23 | AA | 2024
The 61st overall pick in 2022, Thorpe broke out in 2023, posting an elite 24.6 percent strikeout-minus-walk rate in 109 innings at High-A then a preposterous 35.5 percent (and 0.60 WHIP) in 30 innings at Double-A. Thorpe explained his development in a story on mlb.com: “They don’t chase much out of the zone, so you’ve got to pitch in the zone more,” Thorpe said. “Going in, I was just seeing what I could get miss-wise inside the zone versus out of the zone. Trying to compete with myself a little bit more. Obviously they’re better hitters; they’re not going to chase as much as they normally would in High-A.”
His changeup and solid slider combine with a functional fastball to give Thorpe a three-pitch mix that’s aided by some deception given his short-armed release. Command is the calling card. His delivery is balanced throughout and doesn’t put much tax on any particular part of his body.
5. OF Jakob Marsee | 22 | AA | 2024
Even before the Juan Soto trade, we were likely to see the 6-foot 180-pound Marsee in the major leagues at some point in 2024. He played his way to Double-A during the 2023 season and ended it with a fantastic stretch in the Arizona Fall League. In 24 AFL games, Marsee slashed .391/.508/.707 with five home runs and 16 stolen bases. He played just 16 games at in Double-A, but AJ Preller has always played by his own rulebook when it comes to prospect promotions, so I’m not sure his lack of upper-minors experience will push his debut into the summertime, especially with Trent Grisham tailing Juan Soto out of town.
6. 3B Graham Pauley | 23 | AA | 2024
Pauley hit 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 127 games across three levels, slashing .308/.393/.539 with 93 strikeouts and 60 walks. A 13th round pick in 2022, Pauley is 6’1” and 200 pounds with a smooth left handed swing that brings just enough uppercut for regular barreling. Looks like a home run of a pick for Preller and company. Might figure into the infield picture early this year if the team keeps trading.
7. RHP Dylan Lesko | 20 | A+ | 2025
Lesko was pitching his way toward the top of the 2022 draft when Tommy John surgery derailed his senior high school season. San Diego selected him 15th overall anyway. At 6’2” 195 lbs, Lesko was considered one of the most talented high school pitchers in recent history thanks to a dynamic three-pitch mix of fastball, changeup, curveball: all easy plus offerings or better. He covered three levels in 2023 and ended up making three starts in High-A, striking out 20 batters in just 12 innings.
8. OF Samuel Zavala | 19 | A+ | 2025
Zavala hit 14 home runs and stole 20 bases in 101 games in Low-A, slashing .267/.420/.451 with a 140 wRC+. He didn’t fare well in his two weeks to conclude the season in High-A, but that’s an ignorable detail. The 6’1” 175 lb Zavala won’t turn 20 until July 15 and could spend his birthday in Double-A.
9. 1B Nathan Martorella | 23 | AA | 2025
A power hitter at 6’1” 224 lbs from the left side, Martorella’s best feature is his ability to minimize strikeouts. There’s a Vinnie P starter kit here with a chance for a late bounce up the prospect lists if it looks like Martorella is going to get a good long look at a regular lineup spot. In 135 games (582 PA) across two levels, he struck out 101 times, drew 82 walks and popped 19 home runs.
10. OF Dillon Head | 19 | A | 2027
The 25th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Head is a 6’0” 185 lb left handed hitter with plus speed who controls the strike zone and should add power as he ages. He’s the seventh lefty bat on this list, all of whom are about six-foot tall with solid plate skills. Head played 14 games on the complex (124 wRC+) and 13 games in Low-A (78 wRC+), where he figures to open the 2024 season. He’ll probably remain in centerfield throughout his development and should do well on public-facing, real-baseball lists throughout his minor league career so long as he’s hitting.
Thanks for reading!
