Top Early Standouts in the Padres’ Farm System

Defensively, Salas still brings the traits that made evaluators believe he could stick behind the plate long term. The arm strength, leadership, and feel for handling a pitching staff remain advanced for his age. If the bat continues trending upward, he once again looks every bit like a future cornerstone piece for San Diego.

At this point, the biggest question surrounding Salas is health. If he can stay on the field consistently, the talent is undeniable.

Ryan Wideman

Ryan Wideman was selected in the third round out of Western Kentucky and currently leads all of the minors with 29 stolen bases in 38 games for Single-A Lake Elsinore. Wideman’s .322/.405/.521 slash line has allowed him to use his 70-grade speed, and overall, is a serious upgrade from his .229/.330/.271 line from last season. 

He has made significant strides offensively, improving his contact rate from 69.4% to 81.6% so far this season. Along with the speed, there has also been an uptick in power production, jumping from a 78 wRC+ to a 135 wRC+.

Part of that jump can be attributed to changes in his batted-ball profile. Wideman has increased his pull rate by just about two percent and his flyball rate by just over 10%, allowing him to drive the ball with more juice.

The speed has always been there, but now the offensive profile is beginning to catch up. If he keeps getting on base at this rate, his athleticism alone makes him one of the more exciting players to follow in the system.

Kash Mayfield

In his first professional season, Kash Mayfield was solid at Single-A Lake Elsinore 19 starts, posting a 2.97 ERA with 88 strikeouts across 60.2 innings pitched.

So far in the new season in High-A Fort Wayne, he owns a 1.52 ERA through seven starts. 

Mayfield has excelled at generating swing and miss, generating a 37.6% whiff rate according to TJStats. His best pitch continues to be the changeup, coming in 8-9 mph slower than his fastball, darting armside. 

The one concern for Mayfield remains control, as his walk rate has elevated from 10.9% last year to 12.1% this year, inflating some of his expected numbers. There are stretches where he loses the zone and runs up pitch counts too quickly.

Even with the walks, Mayfield has done an incredible job limiting hits, leading all of Minor League Baseball in opponent batting average (.097) among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched. For a young left-hander still refining command, the ability to miss bats at this level is extremely encouraging.

Alex McCoy

Standing at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, few players in the Padres’ system are built like Alex McCoy. Signed in 2024 as an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra, McCoy quickly put his massive frame and raw power on display. He broke out in Single-A Lake Elsinore last season, posting a .907 OPS with six home runs in 53 games.

McCoy has followed up his strong first season with a healthy .289/.359/.563 slash line, continuing to establish himself as one of the more intriguing power bats in the system. 

As expected, the primary tool is raw power. On April 12, McCoy smoked a baseball 119.5 mph off the bat, harder than any ball hit in the major leagues this season. 

An underrated aspect of McCoy’s game is his prowess on the bases. He swiped 14 bags last season, and is up to six so far this season. This toolset gives him a speed-power combination that makes him a unique profile. 

He could use some tinkering to his approach, owning a 33.9% whiff rate and 25.5% strikeout rate, according to TJStats. And as McCoy continues to climb through the system, better pitching will challenge the holes in his swing more often.

Regardless, players with this amount of raw power don’t come around often. If he can improve his approach and make better swing decisions, McCoy has the upside to become a legitimate power threat, something the Padres could use.