With low Single-A Lake Elsinore clinching a first-half title in the California League last week and the second half underway, the Padres on Tuesday pushed promotions throughout the system, including xxxx top-30 prospects as ranked by MLB.com.
Many of those players were crucial in helping the Storm win their first-half title and some figure to be ranked among the Padres’ top-30 before long.
Here’s a look at the notable promotions:
OF Ryan Wideman (No. 7): Last year’s third-round pick, the 22-year-old Wideman leads all of professional baseball with 43 steals. He had also paired 66 homers and a system-best 44 RBIs with a .312/.386/.498 batting line to start the year with the Storm:
RHP Tucker Musgrove (No. 9): He was averaging 18.95 strikeouts per nine innings while posting a 3.79 ERA through 19 innings to start the year in high Single-A Fort Wayne’s bullpen. He was 2-for-4 in save changes and holding hitters to a .230 batting average. He had, however, walked 13 batters before the promotion to Double-A San Antonio.
RHP Lan-Hong Su (No. 16): The 19-year-old had struck out 17 against eight walks in 15 ⅔ innings (4.02 ERA) before moving from the rookie-level Arizona Complex League to Lake Elsinore. Hitters had a .271 batting average off him to start his career.
1B Romeo Sanabria (No. 27): The 24-year-old had eight homers and a .247/.345/.394 batting line to start his third stint in the Double-A Texas League. He was, however, hitting .284/.338/.500 with four homers in June to prompt the move to Triple-A El Paso.
RHP Bryan Balzer (No. 28): The 21-year-old had a 4.48 ERA, 57 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP in 60 ⅓ innings to start his second stint with the Storm. The promotion to Fort Wayne is his first.
1B Luke Cantwell: Last year’s 20th-round had a system-best .328 batting average and a .475 on-base percentage in 40 games to start the year with the Storm.
RHP Winyer Chourio: The 22-year-old’s 74 strikeouts and 3.31 ERA in 51⅔ innings with the Storm led the system’s starting pitching prospects. He was also holding hitters to a .204 batting average before the move to Fort Wayne.
3B Kerrington Cross: A seventh-rounder last year out of Cincinnati, the 24-year-old infielder had paired 11 homers, 17 steals and 43 RBIs with a .313/.467/.608 batting line to start the year with Lake Elsinore.
OF Jake Cunningham: The 23-year-old minor league free agent had a system-best 15 homers and a .269/.369/.560 batting line in 57 games at Fort Wayne, prompting his first promotion to Double-A.
RHP Clay Edmondson: The 23-year-old was 11-for-13 in save chances with the TinCaps and had a 38-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27 innings. Hitters had a .134 batting average off him.
Tuesday’s scoreboard
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (35-41)
Sugar Land 12, Chihuahuas 5: RHP Germán Márquez (1-1, 2.12 ERA) pitched in relief for the first time on his rehab assignment, allowing a run on three hits, two walks and a hit batter in 1⅔ innings. Hew threw 23 of his 44 pitches for strikes. RHP Triston McKenzie (14.63 ERA) allowed three runs on one hit and five walks in two-thirds of an inning. DH Marcos Castañon (.811 OPS) drove in four runs on two hits, including his 11th homer. RF Carlos Rodriguez (.766 OPS) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk to extend on-base streak to 31 games.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (32-38)
Missions 7, Arkansas 1: LF Tirso Ornelas (.796 OPS) drove in three runs on three hits, including his ninth and 10th homers. 1B Albert Fabian (.652 OPS) drove in two runs on two hits, including his fifth homer. RHP Eric Yost (2-2, 3.28 ERA) allowed a run in six innings in the win.
HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (30-40)
TinCaps 6, Lake County 2: Cross (2.000 OPS) walked three times, singled twice and swiped a base in his Midwest League debut. DH Kavares Tears (.827 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. RHP Matthew Watson (1-4, 5.73 ERA) walked four but allowed two runs in six innings in the win.
LOW SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (39-31)
Fresno 6, Storm 4: RF George Bilecki (.745 OPS) went 2-for-4, hit his fourth homer, doubled and drove in two runs. C Truitt Madonna (.715 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. RHP Jesus A. Castro (0-2, 3.51 ERA) allowed six runs—three earned—in two-thirds of an inning in the start.
ROOKIE ACL PADRES (21-17)
Padres 10, Guardians 9 (11): DH Jesmaylin Arias (.863 OPS) went 2-for-5 with his fifth homer. DH Fabian Alcantara (.638 OPS) drove in two runs on three hits, including two doubles. C Jack Mathey (.618 OPS) went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored.
ROOKIE DSL BROWN (4-13)
Athletics 6, Padres 1: 1B Jeanfranco Fernandez (.730 OPS) went 2-for-4. DH Osmy Osorio (.806 OPS) went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored.
ROOKIE DSL GOLD (14-3)
Padres 7, Royals 6 (7): RF Darian Castillo (.887 OPS) went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. LF Sebastian Pena (.827 OPS) tripled in a run. SS Joniel Hernandez (1.039 OPS) and DH Angel Mejia (.913 OPS) each had a double.