The division reports debuted last year. The goal of this article series is to provide a quick overview of all dynasty-relevant information from each division. Each team has multiple levels each containing plenty of impactful prospects which can feel impossible to keep up with. This article series, which will be updated once per month, will help dynasty managers stay up to date on performances, injuries, promotions, and more. New this season is the inclusion of tiers in the rankings. Next to their rank, each prospect is assigned a tier. The tier range is 1-5.
- Tier 1: A potential difference-making dynasty prospect. Somebody who would rank in the top-20ish prospects for dynasty baseball
- Tier 2: A still very good dynasty prospect who holds plenty of value. This prospect would typically rank in the 21-75 range
- Tier 3: A mid-tier prospect who could be valuable but has questions and concerns present in his profile ranking in the 76-150 range
- Tier 4: A prospect who is worth knowing, but is reserved for deeper leagues. This prospect would rank 151-250
- Tier 5: The rest of the prospects fall into Tier 5
While Ethan Salas slides into tier-three, the Padres have some deeper-league dynasty prospects starting to make a name for themselves. Miguel Mendez jumps into the top ten and third tier after a strong start where he is showing increased command over his plus stuff. Tirso Ornelas is the only top prospect knocking on the door of the Major Leagues as the rest are still several years away.
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Victor Figueroa has been one of the best hitters in Minor League Baseball this season. The huge 6’5″ first baseman has been on a tear after being drafted in the 18th round last season. After hitting five home runs in 11 games at the Complex League, Figueroa quickly earned a promotion to Low-A. This is not proving to be much more difficult for Figueroa, who has already hit another three homers since the promotion. Figueroa’s power makes him a fun prospect to dream on. However, his batting average has dropped significantly since his promotion to Low-A thanks to a suspect hit tool.
- Miguel Mendez is a pitching prospect that dynasty managers should know about. Mendez signed with the Padres back in February of 2021 and has struggled to cement himself as a relevant dynasty prospect. Walks have been the biggest issue for Mendez throughout his professional career, but he seems to be turning a corner early on this season. Mendez has lowered his walk rate from 14.9% last season to 9.3% through eight starts this year. He has walked two or fewer batters in all but one start this season. He has a huge fastball, an excellent changeup, and a slider that may be his best offering of all three. This is the kind of arm that could explode up dynasty rankings.
Notable Prospect Promotions and News:
- Kash Mayfield has returned to game action. Shoulder injuries are always concerning for young pitching prospects, but Mayfield only missed a few starts before returning to the mound on June 4. Mayfield looked strong in his return, firing two scoreless innings and striking out four. The team’s first-round pick from last year has looked strong through his first seven professional starts. The hope is that he can continue to add velocity, taking his potential to the next level.
- Humberto Cruz is starting to build up his innings. After signing with the team out of Mexico last January, Cruz threw just two innings in 2024 before going down with a season-ending injury. He is healthy to start this season but the team is taking things slow with their prized arm. He started the season with one-inning outings but has built up to two and now 2.2 innings in his most recent start.
- Sean Barnett recently got his first chance on the mound. Barnett was a two-way star at Wingate University before being drafted in the 11th round by the Padres last season. For the first month, the team used him solely as a hitter, helping him get acclimated to professional baseball. On June 4, Barnett pitched one scoreless inning of relief. Barnett’s upside is higher at the plate than on the mound, although a suspect hit tool makes it unlikely he ever turns into a reliable dynasty prospect. Nevertheless, two-way prospects are always intriguing, and Barnett is attempting to accomplish what very few have in the modern era.
