PEORIA, Ariz. — The first impression of Padres prospect Kruz Schoolcraft?
Someone so large and young should not be this smooth.
At 6-foot-8 and now 240 pounds, thanks to 15 pounds of muscle gained in recent months, the lefty eases into his delivery with small movements, lifts his right knee and flows down the pitching mound.
He’s not a clunky big guy who happens to have a strong arm.
He’s fluid.
The plan: Schoolcraft will start games for Lake Elsinore when the Storm open their season next month, soon before he turns 19.
He threw 38 pitches in 1 2/3 innings with the low Class A club last September. It was his only professional outing after the Padres signed him for $3.6 million after taking the Portland, Ore., product 25th overall in the draft.
If any pitching prospect makes it through a full spring training without any injuries while maintaining a regular throwing schedule, he’s had a fine spring training.
“Kruz has made every bullpen, every live batting practice, he’s gotten into simulated games, and we’re starting to get into minor league games here,” said Mike Daly, the Padres’ assistant director of player development.
For the most part, it’s silly to get worked up over a pitcher’s velocity in spring training — especially when so many pitchers crank up the heat in winter workouts leading into camp.
Across two recent innings against Padres minor leaguers, several outings into spring camp that began in mid-February, the lefty threw most of his fastballs at 94 miles per hour and hit 96 mph with several others.
Not every very tall pitcher releases the ball closer to home plate than the norm.
See short-strider Chuck Finley, a 6-foot-6, over-the-top lefty who made five All-Star teams with the Angels.
Schoolcraft gets far down the mound, affording hitters less reaction time because the ball leaves his hand closer to home plate than the norm.
True to the scouting reports, Schoolcraft looked comfortable throwing fastballs and changeups in the recent scrimmage on a back field.
He showed pretty good accuracy — not the same as command — and more so to his arm side.
He finished his pitches well, for the most part.
As several Padres scouts and staffers looked on, he maintained composure.
Right now, Schoolcraft looks capable of succeeding with his fastball and changeup against a good number of hitters in the California League and likely the Midwest League, which is a half-step up.
His breaking ball is a distant third pitch. On this day, it resembled a slurve.
“There are times it’s a little bit slurvier,” Daly said. “There’s times it’s a little bit shorter.”
Afforded thicker margins by the formidable fastball-changeup combination and the pitcher’s young age, Padres staffers and Schoolcraft have plenty of time to figure out how to proceed with the third pitch. He’ll get another chance Saturday, when — as a member of the Padres’ Spring Breakout roster — he’ll take on the Cubs in Mesa.
“What that ultimate version of a slider is, that’s part of the development for him,” Daly said.
Brallan Perez will manage Lake Elsinore after guiding a Padres club to the Dominican Summer League title last year.
Perez played seven years in the minor leagues as an infielder.
Travis Craven was Perez’s pitching coach. Craven worked as a performance analyst with Double-A San Antonio and apprenticed under Jeff Andrews, who has coached pitchers for more than 40 years.
Kale Fountain is among Schoolcraft’s teammates. The right-handed hitter, signed for $1.7 million in 2024 after going in the fifth round, has moved from third base to right field in his comeback from reconstructive elbow surgery in October 2024.
As a lefty who looks every bit of 6-foot-8, Schoolcraft creates discomfort among left-handed hitters.
His three-quarters delivery isn’t as low as that of tall lefties such as 6–10 Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and 6-4 Madison Bumgarner, the three-time World Series champion with the Giants.
But the overall optics give him an edge.
“The extension in terms of where he releases it, plus the angle of being taller, it’s a different look for hitters,” Daly said. “It’s rather intimidating for hitters, especially left-handed hitters.”
In the season ahead, what would success look like for young Mr. K? He starts 20-plus games and pitches 100-plus innings.
That’s it.
If he’s pitching every week — an accomplishment — growth will come.