The industry doesn’t think A.J. Preller has a ton to deal from if the Padres convince him on this road trip to add to a .500 team. Baseball America, for instanced, ranked the farm system dead-last in its midseason update ahead of last weekend’s draft. The Padres baseball ops chief certainly can’t trade from its recent draftees until after the upcoming World Series, but the 2026 class figures to provide a boost to the system even if it won’t help him complete a trade in the coming weeks.
Here’s a look at how the recent draftees fit into the overall picture of the farm system, as well as prospects on the rise and decline so far this year:
1 | C Ethan Salas (Double-A San Antonio)
Need to know: After a back injury limited the 20-year-old Salas to 10 games last year, Salas jumped back into top-100 lists — No. 10 at Baseball America and No. 33 at MLB.com — after a resurgent year with the Missions. He has seven homers and a .284/.353/.422 batting line in 63 games as one of the younger players in the Texas League, although his bat was ice cold in June (.465 OPS) after a breakout April (.883 OPS) and May (.849 OPS). Salas was off to a better start to July (.785 OPS) before representing the Padres in the All-Star Futures Game in Sunday in Philadelphia, his second selection to the game.
2 | LHP Kash Mayfield (High Single-A Fort Wayne)
Need to know: He joined Salas over the weekend at the All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia after posting a 3.33 ERA across 48 2/3 innings, striking out 58 and allowing a .208 batting average to opposing hitters in the Midwest League. The Padres’ first-rounder in 2024, the 21-year-old Mayfield touched 97 mph his senior year and has been up to 96 mph this year, but has largely pitched in the low 90s his first two years in pro ball. He’s up from 194 pounds upon signing to about 209 pounds as the Padres believe more velocity is on the come.
3 | LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (Low Single-A Fort Wayne)
Need to know: Last year’s first-rounder, the 19-year-old is showing electric stuff but not harnessing it well as he’s walking 5.93 batters per nine innings. Opponents also have a .293 average off Schoolcraft, who touches 99 mph with the fastball. Schoolcraft signed for $3.61 million last year. He has a 6.59 ERA in 59 2/3 innings to start his first full year of pro ball.
Coleman Borthwick (31) of Team Red delivers a pitch during Phase 1 of the USA Baseball 18U National Team Training Camp on July 18, 2025 at the USA Baseball Training Facility in Cary, North Carolina. (Tracy Proffitt/Four Seam Images via AP)
4 | RHP Coleman Borthwick (2026 draft)
Need to know: The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Borthwick was committed to Auburn before the Padres drafted him 21st overall over the weekend, a spot that commends with a recommended signing bonus of $4.22 million. He was up to 100 mph his senior year at South Walton High (Fla.), where he led his team to a state title. Borthwick also throws a mid-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup. He was ranked No. 25 in the draft class by Baseball America and No. 43 by MLB.com.
5 | SS Elliot Lascelles (2026 draft)
Need to know: Committed to Yale, the 18-year-old Canadian was drafted 60th overall over the weekend. The Padres view the right-handed-hitter as a polished, plus bat who picks up pitches early and can spray line drives all over the field. He was ranked No. 118 in the draft class by Baseball America and No. 158 by MLB.com. The slot recommendation for his signing bonus is $1.56 million.
6 | C Ty Harvey (Low Single-A Lake Elsinore)
Need to know: He’s hoping to make his way back later this summer after fracturing his left hand on a hitter’s swing earlier this year. The 19-year-old also missed time with a hamstring strain, but he hit .338/.449/.431 in 21 games with the Storm. Harvey signed for $1.5 million as last year’s fifth-rounder.
7 | RHP Miguel Mendez (Double-A San Antonio)
Need to know: Added to the 40-man roster after last season, the 24-year-old is on the injured list for the second time this season, this time with a right shoulder strain. Mendez has a 4.93 ERA in 11 starts in the Texas League (34 2/3 IP) after posting a 3.22 ERA (95 IP) across three levels last year.
8 | OF Ryan Wideman (High Single-A Fort Wayne)
Need to know: Last year’s third-rounder leads all of professional baseball with 50 steals in 66 attempts and has six homers and 50 RBIs. The 22-year-old, however, has seen his bat slow at Fort Wayne (.271/.325/.300) after a strong start to the year at Lake Elsinore (.314/.389/.504).
9 | SS Joniel Hernandez (rookie-level Dominican Summer League)
Need to know: The 17-year-old Cuban signed for $1.4 million as the Padres’ prize in the 2025 international amateur market after missing out on Roki Sasaki. The right-handed-hitting Hernandez has two homers, two steals and a .319/.428/.513 batting line to start his career at the lowest run on the Padres’ ladder.
10 | OF Kale Fountain (Low Single-A Lake Elsinore)
Need to know: The 2024 fifth-rounder hit a 109 mph homer in the Spring Breakout game and had two more homers in 14 games to start the year (.613 OPS), but his season ended early following shoulder surgery after a run-in with an outfield wall. Fountain, 20, signed for $1.7 million after setting Nebraska’s career high school home run record.
==
Others to note: RHP Ryan Lynch (2026 draft), C Robbie Lavey (2026 draft), RHP Michael Salina (R), RHP Jesus A. Castro (A+), RHP Lan-Hong Su (A), RHP Winyer Chourio (A+), RHP Bryan Balzer (A+), RHP Luis Gutierrez (AA), RHP Kannon Kemp (A+), RHP James Guyette (2026 draft), RHP Eric Yost (AA), C Truitt Madonna (A), INF Jose Verdugo (A), SS Jorge Quintana (A), OF Alex Conover (2026 draft), 2B Joe Tiroly (2026 draft), INF Nu’u Contrades (2026 draft), LHP Jagger Haynes (AA), RHP Tucker Musgrove (AA), OF Kasen Wells (A+).