The Padres have a farm system that is much more talent-heavy in the lower levels of the Minors. Some of their top 20 prospects can be expected to help the Major League club in 2026. Here is Pitcher List’s look at the top 20 prospects in the Padres system and which ones can help dynasty fantasy players bolster their team for this season and beyond.
The Top Tier
1) Ethan Salas — C, 19 YO
2025 Stats (AA): .188 AVG | .325 OBP | .219 SLG | 0 HR | 5 RBI | 2 SB | 14.6 K% | 12.2 BB%
2025 was a lost season for Ethan Salas. He only played in 10 games at Double-A San Antonio with a stress fracture in his lower back, which kept him out for the remainder of the season. Salas caught many people’s attention in 2024, as he made his way up to High-A at the ripe age of 18. The Padres have been aggressively moving him up the system because of his impressive defense behind the dish, but his hitting abilities have not been able to catch up with him, as he hit .206/.288/.311 with four home runs and 53 RBI in 113 games during 2024.
The upside for Salas is how incredibly young he still is at Double-A. The lost season may have stunted some of his development, but Salas will have to show that his small sample size of poor performance in 2025 was just that. Salas remains the Padres’ best prospect going in 2026 because of his ceiling, and if he can accomplish even half of that in 2026, he will be one of the best catchers in the Minors for dynasty managers to take on.
2) Kruz Schoolcraft — LHP, 18 YO
2025 Stats (A): 1.2 IP | 10.80 ERA | 44.4 K% | 33.3 BB%
One of the coolest names out of the 2025 MLB Draft, Kruz Schoolcraft, was a two-way standout at Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon. Not too many prep arms have been making their pro ball debut in the same year they’ve been drafted, but the Padres had Schoolcraft make one start in Low-A before the 2025 season concluded. Schoolcraft only threw 38 pitches in that outing, getting five outs, four of which came via the strikeout.
Like Salas, Schoolcraft’s incredibly small sample size isn’t indicative of what their 2026 seasons could look like. It’s safe to assume he will start the season in Low-A. He stands at 6’8 and has had his fastball velocity up to 98 MPH in game action. Schoolcraft will turn 19 on April 18 and still has plenty of time to grow, which will make his development in the Minors one of the most interesting to follow in 2026.
3) Miguel Mendez — RHP, 23 YO
2025 Stats (A/A+/AA): 95 IP | 3.22 ERA | 29.4 K% | 11.2 BB%
A fast riser in the Padres Farm System in 2025, Miguel Mendez was rewarded with a spot on the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft following a strong season. Mendez was most dominant while at High-A Fort Wayne, where he held hitters to a 1.32 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 24 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 61.1 innings over 12 starts. He was promoted to Double-A San Antonio on August 1, but he struggled with the hardest jump from one level to another. In eight starts, Mendez allowed 20 earned runs in 22.1 innings, along with 17 walks and 30 strikeouts.
Even with his struggles at Double-A, Mendez could find himself as a candidate to join the Padres’ starting rotation if they need to call upon their Minor League starting depth. He’s already received an open 40-man spot this offseason, and with a fastball that can touch up to 100 MPH, averaging anywhere from 95-98 MPH on velo. Mendez is a good under-the-radar prospect for any dynasty team in need of starting rotation depth, as he will likely bolster the Padres in the Majors sometime in 2026.
4) Kash Mayfield — LHP, 21 YO
2025 Stats (A): 60.2 IP | 2.97 ERA | 34.1 K% | 10.9 BB%
Kash Mayfield had a strong pro ball debut in 2025, spending all of the year with Low-A Lake Elsinore. While Mayfield’s workload was limited, throwing a total of 1,067 pitches over 60.2 innings across 19 starts, the results went well for him on the mound, pitching to a 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 28 walks, 88 strikeouts, and just two home runs allowed.
Mayfield offers a fastball with steady velocity from 92-95 MPH, occasionally getting up to 97 MPH, along with a low 80s changeup, and a slurve as his breaking ball. With the slow but steady success Mayfield had in his first year of pro ball, Mayfield will likely spend all of 2026 in High-A. Even though they’re still a few years away from the Majors, the Padres do have a strong LHP duo in the lower levels of the Minors with Mayfield and Schoolcraft, and if even just one of them comes into configuration, they will be an excellent addition for any dynasty team managers.
5) Bradgley Rodriguez — RHP, 22 YO
2025 Stats (AA/AAA): 36.2 IP | 3.19 ERA | 34.1 K% | 10.9 BB%
Rodriguez is another flame-throwing reliever who looks to bolster the back end of the Padres bullpen in 2026. He made his MLB debut on May 31, but didn’t return to the Padres bullpen until September 13 and finished the year with his first seven appearances. Rodriguez had a strong start to his career, allowing just one run, three walks, and nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. He was also able to showcase the effectiveness of his fastball and sinker, with both averaging around 98.5 MPH
It’s impressive to see Rodriguez’s climb to the Majors in 2025, after he missed all of 2022 and 2023 due to issues with his right elbow. If he can remain healthy, he can be the effective back-end of the bullpen arm the Padres envision him as, but his arm is also fragile, and one more elbow injury could mark the end of his career before it’s truly started. Rodriguez will be one of the biggest injury risks in the Padres’ bullpen this year, but if dynasty managers want to take the chance on his high-heat and not having as much name recognition, he’ll be worth pursuing.
6) Humberto Cruz — RHP, 19 YO
2025 Stats (AA): 38 IP | 7.58 ERA | 20.5 K% | 9.9 BB%
Humberto Cruz impressed many, reaching Low-A on July 1, despite some mixed results on the mound over eight starts in Rookie Ball. He pitched decently with the Lake Elsinore Storm, pitching to a 6.97 ERA, 21.7% strikeout rate, and 9.8% walk rate over six starts. Unfortunately, Cruz’s 2025 season was cut short after an August 12 start, as he underwent Tommy John surgery later in the month. He’s not expected back at all in 2026, but with a high 90s fastball and mid-80s changeup that have helped turn him into an effective ground ball pitcher, he will be a prospect dynasty managers will want to keep tabs on for a comeback in 2027.
7) Jorge Quintana — SS/3B, 19 YO
2025 Stats (CPX/A): .243AVG | .339 OBP | .363 SLG | 4 HR | 28 RBI | 26 SB | 25.5 K% |11.8 BB%
Jorge Quintana was an international free agent signed by the Brewers in January of 2024. The Padres got him as part of their trade for Nestor Cortes Jr. for Brandon Lockridge. He spent all of his time in the Brewers system at Rookie Ball and was performing well in the Arizona Complex League before the trade, hitting .264/.349/.403 with three home runs, 23 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.
The Padres immediately promoted him to Low-A upon their acquisition of Quintana, where more of his flaws were exposed. Quintana strikes out far more often as a left-handed hitter than from the right side, and those flaws showed in Low-A, as he has a lot of raw power in his swing. Quintana will turn 19 on April 5 and will likely spend all of 2026 in Low-A. He still has plenty of promise to show both as a hitter and base-stealing threat, but has a lot of work to do to balance his numbers from both sides of the plate.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Kale Fountain –1B/3B, 20 YO
2025 Stats (CPX/A): .226 AVG | .346 OBP | .309 SLG | 3 HR | 34 RBI | 21 SB | 23.2 K% |12.5 BB%
The Padres fifth-round pick from the 2024 MLB Draft out of Firth, Nebraska, Kale Fountain, made his pro ball debut last year, starting things out well in the Arizona Complex League, hitting .262/.386/.364 with one home run, 18 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. As it was for Quintana, so it was for Fountain, having his weaknesses exposed when he was promoted to Low-A, hitting only .195 with 17 walks and 34 strikeouts.
Fountain has great plate discipline, as he demonstrated in Rookie Ball and was scouted with 65 grade power while still in high school, but his power has yet to show itself in the Minors, and that will need to be the next step in his development, especially if he expects to play one of the corner infield positions long-term.
9) Jagger Haynes – LHP, 23 YO
2025 Stats (AA): 103 IP | 4.11 | 22.8 K% | 14 BB%
The Padres Minor League system is stacked with left-handed pitching talent, and Jagger Haynes is one of those flying under the radar compared to the prospect statuses of Schoolcraft and Mayfield. Haynes spent all of 2025 in Double-A San Antonio and had steady results over 25 starts. He pitched to a 4.11 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, struck out 101 batters, walked 64, and allowed 12 home runs over 103 innings.
Haynes has decent stuff with a mid-90s fastball topping out at 96 MPH and a decent curveball and changeup, but he is still lacking command of the strike zone with a high 14% walk rate. Building on his command, he could become an effective starter in the high Minors in 2026, and if everything clicks together, make a case for being promoted to the Majors before the season is over.
10) Tirso Ornelas, OF, 26 YO
2025 Stats (AAA): .289 AVG | .384 OBP | .450 SLG | 10 HR | 57 RBI | 2 SB | 17.3 K% |12.4 BB%
Tirso Ornelas had a short stint with the Padres this year following a knee injury to veteran Jason Heyward in mid-April. While Ornelas only had one hit in 16 plate appearances over his first seven MLB games, he was a steady bat in the Chihuahuas lineup, putting up a .833 OPS over 371 plate appearances.
Ornelas was limited to just the 89 games all season due to plantar fasciitis flare-ups during the summer, which kept him from returning to the Padres lineup with September roster expansions. As long as he remains healthy, he can find himself carving out a role as a backup outfielder on the Padres depth chart.
11) Ryan Wideman — OF, 22 YO
2025 Stats (A): .229 AVG | .330 OBP | .271 SLG | 0 HR | 12 RBI | 2 SB | 28.6 K% |10.7 BB%
Born in Spain when his father, Tom Wideman, was playing basketball abroad, Ryan Wideman was taken in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Padres. Wideman had a breakout year with Western Kentucky before the draft, hitting .398/.466/.652, 10 home runs, 68 RBI, along with 45 stolen bases over 60 games.
The Padres assigned Wideman to Low-A Lake Elsinore after the draft, and the results weren’t quite the same for him in pro ball as they were in Division 1 NCAA baseball. Wideman struggled to show any power with only three extra base hits in 112 plate appearances, and had a considerably high strikeout rate with 32 in 26 games. The sample size is still considerably small for Wideman’s future, but for those who believe in the plus-power and plus-speed Wideman has in his toolbox, he will be a player to follow in the lower levels of the Padres system in 2026.
12) Ty Harvey – C, 19 YO
2025 Stats (A): .174 AVG | .367 OBP | .174 SLG | 0 HR | 1 RBI | 0 SB | 40 K% |23.3BB%
The Padres’ 5th Round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft only had a small sample size of seven games with Low-A Lake Elsinore following the draft. Harvey didn’t fare too well at the plate, but a seven-game sample size is no crystal ball that can truly read what his future in pro ball will look like. Harvey, a right-handed hitting prep catcher, comes from a crop of players that have not always been able to make the Majors, let alone have long-term success if they do. Harvey has been graded with a 50 arm, 55 fielding and power. Having just turned 19 after the MLB Draft on July 26, he will be around his age group for his first full season in pro-ball, which is all likely to play out in Low-A in 2026.
13) Lamar King Jr. – C/1B, 22 YO
2025 Stats (A/A+): .274 AVG | .353 OBP | .384 SLG | 4 HR | 44 RBI | 21 SB | 20.4 K% |9.6BB%
Lamar King Jr. has been a slow riser in the Padres Farm System over the past three years after he was taken in the 4th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Towson, Maryland. The recently turned 22-year-old did have a strong year in Low-A, hitting .286/.370/.408 with four home runs, 37 RBI, and 18 stolen bases over 81 games with the Storm. Things didn’t fare as well when King was promoted to Fort Wayne (A+) on August 1, but his overall numbers for the season were an improvement from the 62 games he played in 2024.
King has the makings of a decent backup catcher in the Majors, but is still likely a few years away from reaching that opportunity.
14) Garrett Hawkins – RHP, 26 YO
2025 Stats (A+/AA): 60 IP | 1.50 | 35.1K% |10.1 BB%
Garrett Hawkins had a dominant season as a reliever between High-A and Double-A, which earned him a spot on the Padres’ 40-man roster back in November. Hawkins was previously a starter in the Padres system but was shut down in May of 2023 and missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. His 2025 numbers as a reliever are an encouraging bounce-back from surgery, but he will also be turning 26 on February 10 and has never pitched above Double-A. So it’s hard to envision what his season could look like against MLB hitters if the Padres call upon him.
15) Francis Pena – RHP, 25 YO
2025 Stats (A+/AA): 60 IP | 4.99 | 19.8 K% |14.3 BB%
Francis Pena spent all of 2025 in Triple-A, pitching in the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and saw his numbers take a hit from where they were in 2024. Two years ago, he had a 3.29 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 45 appearances. While his ERA can be looked at as inflated due to pitching in an offense-heavy league, the decrease in strikeouts and increase in Pena’s walk rate are some cause for concern on whether he can be an effective reliever in the Majors. He offers a fastball topping out at 98 MPH and a secondary pitches that range anywhere from 86-89 MPH, but if Pena can’t retain control of the strikezone, he won’t be an effective reliever for the Padres in 2026.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eyes on these five players in 2026:
Deivid Coronil– IF, 18 YO – Personally trained by the son of Reds’ Hall of Famer, Dave Concepción, in his home country of Venezuela. Deivid Coronil had mixed results in the Dominican Summer League in 2025. He had a low batting average (.186) and OPS (.541), but he had a decent walk rate for a kid in his first year in Rookie Ball at 12.1%.
Bryan Balzer– RHP, 21 YO – Balzer had his pro debut delayed a year after he had Tommy John surgery following his International signing by the Padres in January of 2023. Fastball ranges from 93-96 MPH, with a mid-80s sweeper, but will be looking for a better year in Low-A in 2026 after having a 7.92 ERA in 50 innings pitched.
Lan-Hong Su – RHP, 19 YO – One of the Padres’ earliest signings of the off-season, Lan-Hong Su, a Taiwanese native, made his name known in the 18 Under Cup in Japan with a strong performance for Chinese Taipei. Still a smaller guy at 6’1, 150 lbs, Su has developed strong velocity on his fastball, reaching 94 MPH, which will make him a fun watch in the Padres Arizona Complex League next summer.
Romeo Sanabria– 1B, 23 YO – Decent Double-A first baseman whose walk rate saw a significant drop in 2025, from 15.4% to 7.6%. Has a decent contact rate with his swing but is still developing power.
Eric Yost – RHP, 23 YO – 2023 17th round pick by the Padres, has decent off-speed stuff with his curveball and sweeper, but the fastball velocity tops out just over 93 MPH. Strong year at High-A and had adjustments in Double-A, could be a decent back-end of the rotation starter.
