First 5 rounds: Ryan Weathers (1-7), Xavier Edwards (CBA-38), Grant Little (CBB-74), Owen Miller (3-84), Dylan Coleman (4-111), Dwanya Williams-Sutton (5-141)
Also notable: Jawuan Harris (7-201), Luke Becker (9-261), Sean Guilbe (12-351)
Since they already have one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Padres went for upside here to see if they can add a few more names to their list of high level prospects. They leaned a little bit more on hitters but not much, and while I think they made some reaches, they added a lot of talent. Overall, from a team with a top ten pick as well as two competitive balance picks, I think the haul is a little light, but as an upside-oriented draft, only a couple players have to be successful for it to be a successful draft.
1-7: LHP Ryan Weathers (my rank: 18)
Weathers is a great pitcher, no doubt, and definitely a first round talent, so it's hard to be negative here but there were definitely high school pitchers, even a high school lefty (Matthew Liberatore) available that I liked better. Weathers is a 6'1" lefty out of Loretto High School in rural Tennessee, about 90 miles southwest of Nashville. The son of 19 year MLB veteran David Weathers, Ryan is arguably the safest bet among all high school pitchers. Though he lacks physical projection, he's very good right now, throwing a low 90's fastball, a curveball with inconsistent break but good power, and a solid changeup, all of which he commands well. Really, aside from acclimating to higher levels and better hitters, all that he has to do to end up a major league starter is maintain his command and get more consistent with his curveball, which is saying a lot for a high schooler. His lack of a "to-do" list might also give him time to tinker with adding a slider and improving his changeup further. I like him, but those that are high on him really, really like him, and he has a good chance to move through the minors quickly by high school standards and be a mid-rotation starter for a long time, though his chances of becoming an ace are lower. He signed for just over $5.2 million, right at slot.
CBA-38: SS Xavier Edwards (my rank: 26)
Edwards is a high school shortstop from South Florida, one with speed and the ability to switch hit. Despite being a switch hitter, he shows great feel for the barrel and should post high batting averages and on-base percentages at the major league level. The swing is cleaner from the right side and will require some refinements on the left, but he is wiry and strong enough to hit for some power, though 20 homer seasons won't be in the books. With that exceptional speed, he will be able to remain a shortstop, though likely not a Gold Glove caliber one. At best, he could be a leadoff man in San Diego. He signed for $2.6 million, which is $721,700 above slot, and he is slashing .423/.515/.423 with no extra base hits but six stolen bases and a 4/6 strikeout to walk ratio through seven games in the rookie level Arizona League.
CBB-74: OF Grant Little (unranked)
Little was the first of eleven players drafted off an exceptional Texas Tech team this year, as he was draft eligible as a sophomore and slashed .370/.462/.642 with 12 home runs, 11 stolen bases, and a 38/40 strikeout to walk ratio in 65 games. He's an average sized hitter (6'1", 185 lbs), but he generates power through a quick, efficient swing and by gaining ground with his load, something I always like to see. Defensively, his position is kind of up in the air, as he could definitely play left field but that would put a lot of pressure on his bat. He may be able to handle center, and second base is also an option. No matter where he plays, his bat will have to carry him, but he may have just enough bat to profile as a 20 homer, .350 on-base percentage guy and start. He signed for $800,000, which is $12,200 below slot, and he's slashing .293/.340/.317 with three stolen bases and a 5/3 strikeout to walk ratio through ten games in the short season Northwest League.
3-84: SS Owen Miller (unranked)
Miller started for three years at Illinois State, playing well as a freshman (.328/.368/.498) and as a sophomore (.325/.351/.498) before breaking out as a junior, slashing .384/.433/.537 with six home runs, eight stolen bases, and a 23/18 strikeout to walk ratio in 52 games. He generates his moderate power from a fairly long swing which will have to be shortened in pro ball, though a low 9.1% strikeout rate this year will help him and it may not need to be shortened too much as long as he keeps catching up to better and better pitching. He doesn't walk much, which isn't really a problem now while he's hitting for power but might become one if he takes more of a contact-oriented approach, and with his speed he could steal a few bases. Defensively, he has a chance to stick at shortstop but may ultimately be a second baseman. He signed for $500,000, which is $194,500 below slot, and he is slashing .336/.373/.448 with two home runs and a 15/4 strikeout to walk ratio through 29 games in the Northwest League.
4-111: RHP Dylan Coleman (my rank: 78)
Coleman is a college arm with great stuff but who doesn't always get the results you would think he'd get. He had his best year for Missouri State this year, going 10-2 with a 3.77 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 129/59 strikeout to walk ratio in 102.2 innings, striking out opponents in bunches but also allowing too many walks. He has an extremely quick arm and throws his fastball in the low to mid 90's with a great slider and a good curveball, but he struggles to repeat his delivery and has trouble locating his pitches consistently. He'll require a lot of work for a college arm, but the 6'6" righty has a high ceiling and could be a #2 starter. He signed for $500,000, which is $2,800 below slot and started off in the Northwest League, throwing six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts before a promotion to Class A Fort Wayne. There, he has tossed 4.2 shutout innings on two hits, four walks, and four strikeouts.
5-141: OF Dwanya Williams-Sutton (unranked)
Williams-Sutton has the distinction of being the first Dwanya to ever play professional baseball, and he'll do so after a successful breakout season at East Carolina. As a junior this past year, he slashed .331/.477/.556 with seven home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 33/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 47 games, though he did miss some time with a wrist injury. He's a very athletic, very strong outfielder who may be able to profile in center field but can fall back on right field. He does have his share of swing and misses (19% strikeout rate) but he also walks a fair amount (14.4%) and offers plenty of upside if the Padres can help him channel his strength and athleticism into more power. He did struggle on the Cape (.148/.324/.185, 11/4 K/BB), and his bat may be a little bit behind that of other college hitters, but his ceiling is higher. To boot, he's young for his grade, having just turned 21 a few days ago. He signed for $350,000, which is $25,600 below slot, and he's slashing .262/.295/.429 with a home run and a 12/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 12 games in the Northwest League.
Others: 7th rounder Jawuan Harris, even at just 5'9", is an athlete through and through, as he plays on the Rutgers baseball team and football team, going so far as to play both ways on the gridiron as a safety and a wide receiver. As you can guess, he's pretty raw, but he has excellent speed that should help him stay in center field. He has never quite gotten it going at the plate, finishing his junior year slashing .246/.375/.387 with a pair of home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a 47/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 games. He swings and misses a lot (26.7% strikeout rate this year), as you would expect, but he also draws a surprising number of walks (15.9%), and the Padres will bank on their being untapped potential obscured by his football focus. 9th rounder Luke Becker has been a steady contributor at Kentucky, where he finished his junior season slashing .286/.410/.466 with seven home runs, ten stolen bases, and a 45/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games. He's a second baseman that uses an advanced approach at the plate (14.3% walk rate) to get on base and drive balls into the gaps, though he swings and misses a bit much for a player of that profile (17.4% strikeout rate). If he can hone his plate discipline just a bit further, which I think he can, he could stick as a utility infielder and get some shots at starting at second base. 12th rounder Sean Guilbe is a borderline top five rounds talent, but he slid to the 12th due to signability and cost the Padres $175,000 against their bonus pool for a total of a $300,000 bonus. He's a powerful third baseman out of high school in Reading, Pennsylvania, one who can drive the ball out of any park but who may struggle with contact at the next level.
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