In a move that surprised nobody, the Padres for the eleventh consecutive year selected a high schooler with their first pick. Those previous ten years have produced some very solid players, including MacKenzie Gore (2017), C.J. Abrams (2019), and Jackson Merrill (2021), though there have also been several busts including Hudson Sanchez (2016), Robert Hassell (2020), and Dylan Lesko (2022). This year, two preps in Coleman Borthwick and Elliot Lascelles lead things off, followed by a long run of college picks for the rest of the draft if you exclude their two unsigned preps at the end. The Padres focused heavily on players trending up, looking for guys coming off breakout 2026 seasons or those who seemed to find another gear late in the season, hoping to continue that push into pro ball. They prioritized hit-over-power types at the plate, including to the extreme with second rounder Lascelles, and also looked to pull in young-for-the-class players who where several months or more younger than most of their classmates.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-21: RHP Coleman Borthwick, South Walton HS [FL]
Slot value: $4.22 million. Signing bonus: $3.8 million ($424,700 below slot value).
My rank: #31. MLB Pipeline: #43. ESPN: #31.
The Padres love high school pitching early in the draft, so it shocked nobody to see Coleman Borthwick go a bit under slot value here in the first round to sign away from an Auburn commitment. Part of a vaunted South Walton rotation that also included Padres seventeenth rounder Denton Lord (though he did not sign), himself a potential top one hundred pick had he been signable, Borthwick mowed through Florida Panhandle competition with ease. He has a big league body and then some, clocking in at 6'6", 245 pounds already even though he's barely eighteen years old. The arm strength matches the size, with a fastball sitting comfortably in the low to mid 90's and touching triple digits when he really reaches back. There's some extra giddy up and cut on the pitch, making it a true plus pitch already. He has increasingly developed better feel for his slider, looking consistently above average with late, sharp bite and flashing plus at its best. The changeup is a bit behind, but he has shown some aptitude and is working on incorporating it more. While there is some effort in the delivery, Borthwick repeats it well and pounds the strike zone aggressively, helping his average pure command play up to above average control especially against high school hitters. As he develops in the Padres organization, he seems a pretty safe bet to make further strides in that regard and remain an above average strike thrower against more disciplined pro hitters. With two potential plus pitches, a big league body, and potential above average command, Borthwick has a great chance to develop into a #2 or #3 starter in San Diego. Whether he reaches that ceiling will depend on the command (as it does for any prep) as well as further refinement of his changeup. There is a ton to like for an eighteen year old kid and he has a chance to move quicker than many other pitchers his age, provided he stays healthy.
Slot value: $4.22 million. Signing bonus: $3.8 million ($424,700 below slot value).
My rank: #31. MLB Pipeline: #43. ESPN: #31.
The Padres love high school pitching early in the draft, so it shocked nobody to see Coleman Borthwick go a bit under slot value here in the first round to sign away from an Auburn commitment. Part of a vaunted South Walton rotation that also included Padres seventeenth rounder Denton Lord (though he did not sign), himself a potential top one hundred pick had he been signable, Borthwick mowed through Florida Panhandle competition with ease. He has a big league body and then some, clocking in at 6'6", 245 pounds already even though he's barely eighteen years old. The arm strength matches the size, with a fastball sitting comfortably in the low to mid 90's and touching triple digits when he really reaches back. There's some extra giddy up and cut on the pitch, making it a true plus pitch already. He has increasingly developed better feel for his slider, looking consistently above average with late, sharp bite and flashing plus at its best. The changeup is a bit behind, but he has shown some aptitude and is working on incorporating it more. While there is some effort in the delivery, Borthwick repeats it well and pounds the strike zone aggressively, helping his average pure command play up to above average control especially against high school hitters. As he develops in the Padres organization, he seems a pretty safe bet to make further strides in that regard and remain an above average strike thrower against more disciplined pro hitters. With two potential plus pitches, a big league body, and potential above average command, Borthwick has a great chance to develop into a #2 or #3 starter in San Diego. Whether he reaches that ceiling will depend on the command (as it does for any prep) as well as further refinement of his changeup. There is a ton to like for an eighteen year old kid and he has a chance to move quicker than many other pitchers his age, provided he stays healthy.
2-60: SS Elliot Lascelles, Upper Canada HS [ON]
Slot value: $1.56 million. Signing bonus: $2.8 million ($1.24 million above slot value).
My rank: #90. MLB Pipeline: #158. ESPN: #78.
Elliot Lascelles had some serious late helium towards the end of the spring, an many expected him to go significantly sooner than most public boards had him ranked. While #60 might be towards the higher end of that expectation, his massive $2.8 million signing bonus (just under the value of the #35 pick) probably eclipsed even the most bullish projections. San Diego is pushing all of the chips in on their second rounder, and for good reason. Lascelles is one of the best contact hitters in the entire prep class, simply torturing pitchers everywhere he has gone including against real, high quality arms. Appearing with all of Canada's top showcase squads, he hit .389 against minor league pitching throughout the spring then took a turn in the MLB Draft League, where he whacked .394/.523/.545 and with just three strikeouts in nine games against legitimate pro-ready competition. The Toronto native guides the barrel around the zone with precision, gathering line drives in bunches no matter how hard the fastball or how sharp the breaking ball. The trade off comes in the power department. Listed at 6'1", 180 pounds, he's not a small guy but his skinnier frame and contact-oriented approach lead to below average power output, most often boosting his slugging percentage by finding gaps for doubles and triples rather than yanking the ball over the fence. San Diego sees more room to fill out and add some force and bat speed, but he's a long way off in that department with some of the lowest peak exit velocity numbers at the MLB Draft Combine even in a controlled setting where he could let loose a little more. It will be interesting to see whether the Padres ask Lascelles to trade some contact for power, but regardless of how he develops, there is absolutely zero worry that he'll be able to handle pro pitching. At peak, he could be a .300 hitter who averages around ten home runs per season, with Luis Arraez being the easy comparison or someone like a taller Maicer Izturis if we want to dig a little deeper. Defensively, San Diego announced him as a shortstop and that's probably where he'll start out, but ultimately his arm is a little light for the left side of the infield and he most likely fits best at second base. At the keystone, his above average speed and average defensive actions should make him a solid defender.
Slot value: $1.56 million. Signing bonus: $2.8 million ($1.24 million above slot value).
My rank: #90. MLB Pipeline: #158. ESPN: #78.
Elliot Lascelles had some serious late helium towards the end of the spring, an many expected him to go significantly sooner than most public boards had him ranked. While #60 might be towards the higher end of that expectation, his massive $2.8 million signing bonus (just under the value of the #35 pick) probably eclipsed even the most bullish projections. San Diego is pushing all of the chips in on their second rounder, and for good reason. Lascelles is one of the best contact hitters in the entire prep class, simply torturing pitchers everywhere he has gone including against real, high quality arms. Appearing with all of Canada's top showcase squads, he hit .389 against minor league pitching throughout the spring then took a turn in the MLB Draft League, where he whacked .394/.523/.545 and with just three strikeouts in nine games against legitimate pro-ready competition. The Toronto native guides the barrel around the zone with precision, gathering line drives in bunches no matter how hard the fastball or how sharp the breaking ball. The trade off comes in the power department. Listed at 6'1", 180 pounds, he's not a small guy but his skinnier frame and contact-oriented approach lead to below average power output, most often boosting his slugging percentage by finding gaps for doubles and triples rather than yanking the ball over the fence. San Diego sees more room to fill out and add some force and bat speed, but he's a long way off in that department with some of the lowest peak exit velocity numbers at the MLB Draft Combine even in a controlled setting where he could let loose a little more. It will be interesting to see whether the Padres ask Lascelles to trade some contact for power, but regardless of how he develops, there is absolutely zero worry that he'll be able to handle pro pitching. At peak, he could be a .300 hitter who averages around ten home runs per season, with Luis Arraez being the easy comparison or someone like a taller Maicer Izturis if we want to dig a little deeper. Defensively, San Diego announced him as a shortstop and that's probably where he'll start out, but ultimately his arm is a little light for the left side of the infield and he most likely fits best at second base. At the keystone, his above average speed and average defensive actions should make him a solid defender.
3-97: RHP Ryan Lynch, North Carolina
Slot value: $808,100. Signing bonus: $1 million ($191,900 above slot value),
My rank: #116. MLB Pipeline: #98. ESPN: #111.
Ryan Lynch has a profile that not every team will love, but one that developed right could be very useful in San Diego. An advanced prep when he hit campus at UNC, he immediately became one of the Tar Heels' most valuable arms and posted a 2.93 ERA and a sharp 73/25 strikeout to walk ratio across 27 appearances (3 starts), then jumped into the rotation as a sophomore. The ERA jumped a bit to 4.21 while the strikeout rate dipped from 27.5% to 20.3%, but the Padres still love the arm and see plenty of upside. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with tons of run and some sink, creating lots of ground ball contact. He shows a sharp slider that can dive across the plate, flashing plus at its best, though it can also back up on him and will require a little bit of further refinement in pro ball. He hasn't quite found consistent feel for a changeup just yet, so he'll more or less be starting from scratch in that regard in the Padres' system. The 6'3" righty works with a low three quarters delivery that creates good movement profile ons his pitches and creates a difficult look for hitters, and he also repeats it well enough to pound the zone consistently. The control is ahead of the command, so he can get hit when he leaves pitches over the plate, leaving room to tighten things in that regard, but he's much of the way there already. Lynch has the two pitch mix, frame, and control to start, but with the changeup and command will determine whether it comes to pass. If he ends up back in the bullpen, the sinker/slider combo will work well as a fallback.
Slot value: $808,100. Signing bonus: $1 million ($191,900 above slot value),
My rank: #116. MLB Pipeline: #98. ESPN: #111.
Ryan Lynch has a profile that not every team will love, but one that developed right could be very useful in San Diego. An advanced prep when he hit campus at UNC, he immediately became one of the Tar Heels' most valuable arms and posted a 2.93 ERA and a sharp 73/25 strikeout to walk ratio across 27 appearances (3 starts), then jumped into the rotation as a sophomore. The ERA jumped a bit to 4.21 while the strikeout rate dipped from 27.5% to 20.3%, but the Padres still love the arm and see plenty of upside. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with tons of run and some sink, creating lots of ground ball contact. He shows a sharp slider that can dive across the plate, flashing plus at its best, though it can also back up on him and will require a little bit of further refinement in pro ball. He hasn't quite found consistent feel for a changeup just yet, so he'll more or less be starting from scratch in that regard in the Padres' system. The 6'3" righty works with a low three quarters delivery that creates good movement profile ons his pitches and creates a difficult look for hitters, and he also repeats it well enough to pound the zone consistently. The control is ahead of the command, so he can get hit when he leaves pitches over the plate, leaving room to tighten things in that regard, but he's much of the way there already. Lynch has the two pitch mix, frame, and control to start, but with the changeup and command will determine whether it comes to pass. If he ends up back in the bullpen, the sinker/slider combo will work well as a fallback.
4-124: C Robbie Lavey, George Washington
Slot value: $620,300. Signing bonus: $600,000 ($20,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #188. ESPN: #105.
The Padres think they found a bit of a sleeper in Robbie Lavey coming from a mid-major background with strong under the hood numbers. He is a career .322 hitter at George Washington across 150 games, including a career year in 2026 in which he hit .339/.462/.526 with a career-best eight home runs. While the power hasn't shown up too much at GW nor did it on the Cape last summer (.262/.368/.328), he posted strong exit velocities both in season and at the MLB Draft Combine to lead the Padres to project more in the future. He gets his arms extended well and creates good leverage with his 6'2" frame, with mechanical and approach tweaks likely to help him get from present fringy game power to average in the future. He handled mid major pitching well in 2026, limiting both the chase and the swing and miss to post strong strikeout and walk rates. It will be a jump going to pro pitching, but he should be an advanced enough hitter to handle it. Behind the plate, the Northern Virginia product has solid defensive tools with an above average arm and a workable glove, and the Padres especially believe he could be an above average defender there with further refinement. With upside on both sides of the ball, it's a nice value pick for $600K that projects as a backup catcher with the potential for more. He's very young for a college junior as well, not turning 21 until nearly two months after the draft. That makes him almost three months younger than Ryan Lynch, a true sophomore.
Slot value: $620,300. Signing bonus: $600,000 ($20,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #188. ESPN: #105.
The Padres think they found a bit of a sleeper in Robbie Lavey coming from a mid-major background with strong under the hood numbers. He is a career .322 hitter at George Washington across 150 games, including a career year in 2026 in which he hit .339/.462/.526 with a career-best eight home runs. While the power hasn't shown up too much at GW nor did it on the Cape last summer (.262/.368/.328), he posted strong exit velocities both in season and at the MLB Draft Combine to lead the Padres to project more in the future. He gets his arms extended well and creates good leverage with his 6'2" frame, with mechanical and approach tweaks likely to help him get from present fringy game power to average in the future. He handled mid major pitching well in 2026, limiting both the chase and the swing and miss to post strong strikeout and walk rates. It will be a jump going to pro pitching, but he should be an advanced enough hitter to handle it. Behind the plate, the Northern Virginia product has solid defensive tools with an above average arm and a workable glove, and the Padres especially believe he could be an above average defender there with further refinement. With upside on both sides of the ball, it's a nice value pick for $600K that projects as a backup catcher with the potential for more. He's very young for a college junior as well, not turning 21 until nearly two months after the draft. That makes him almost three months younger than Ryan Lynch, a true sophomore.
4C-134: OF Alex Conover, Oklahoma State
Slot value: $563,900. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($63,900 below slot value).
Slot value: $563,900. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($63,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #204. ESPN: #145.
Alex Conover brings the Padres a jack of all trades, master of none type. He began his career at powerhouse Cowley JC in Kansas, then quickly transferred back home to Oklahoma State for his sophomore year. After spending 2025 in a part time role, he broke out for a big 2026 as the Cowboys' starting left fielder. The biggest difference between '25 and '26 for Conover was his approach, as he often chased himself out of counts as a sophomore but took control of his at bats much more consistently as a junior, showing off much more patience and better pitch recognition. Listed at 6'4", 200 pounds, he has power hitter size but plays more as a contact hitter, using the whole field and especially looking to drive the ball to the backside, left center field gap. He shows off average power in batting practice and could profile for 15-20 home runs annually with some tweaks to his approach with more lifting and pulling the ball, giving him nice upside when he already shows a strong propensity to get on base. The Oklahoma native is very young for the class, not turning 21 until more than a month after the draft, so there is still perhaps some projection on that 6'4" frame to add additional power. Conover has manned left field effectively for Oklahoma State and could play a fringy right field with average overall defensive skills, though center field might be just a little bit of a stretch. He profiles pretty cleanly as a fourth outfielder who can hit all kinds of pitching, perhaps popping for every day playing time if the power comes along.
Alex Conover brings the Padres a jack of all trades, master of none type. He began his career at powerhouse Cowley JC in Kansas, then quickly transferred back home to Oklahoma State for his sophomore year. After spending 2025 in a part time role, he broke out for a big 2026 as the Cowboys' starting left fielder. The biggest difference between '25 and '26 for Conover was his approach, as he often chased himself out of counts as a sophomore but took control of his at bats much more consistently as a junior, showing off much more patience and better pitch recognition. Listed at 6'4", 200 pounds, he has power hitter size but plays more as a contact hitter, using the whole field and especially looking to drive the ball to the backside, left center field gap. He shows off average power in batting practice and could profile for 15-20 home runs annually with some tweaks to his approach with more lifting and pulling the ball, giving him nice upside when he already shows a strong propensity to get on base. The Oklahoma native is very young for the class, not turning 21 until more than a month after the draft, so there is still perhaps some projection on that 6'4" frame to add additional power. Conover has manned left field effectively for Oklahoma State and could play a fringy right field with average overall defensive skills, though center field might be just a little bit of a stretch. He profiles pretty cleanly as a fourth outfielder who can hit all kinds of pitching, perhaps popping for every day playing time if the power comes along.
5-157: RHP James Guyette, Kansas State
Slot value: $449,500. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($49,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Padres handed out a healthy $400K bonus to James Guyette, a sleeper who didn't appear on many boards. One of four Southern Californians in this Padres draft class (all from the LA suburbs, a shutout of San Diego County), Guyette barely pitched as a freshman at Kansas State then became a key part of the Wildcats' bullpen as a sophomore in 2025. Jumping into the rotation in 2026, his surface numbers looked ugly (5.56 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) but he looks to be trending up. He made his best start of the season near the end of the year against Cincinnati (9 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 13 K) and finished with a strong 27.9% strikeout rate, notably moving from the first base to third base side of the rubber. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 97 at peak, coming in with run and sink from a sidearm slot. His sweeper dives across the plate and could be plus with a little more refinement, while his changeup has come along nicely and gives him a third solid pitch. His command is fringy and will be the key to unlocking the next level of his success, especially as San Diego asks him to execute more nuanced game plans. A sidearming righty, Guyette gets good extension to make his pitches play up further and provides a difficult look for hitters. With experience starting and relieving, he has the three pitch mix and size to cut it in either role but command will be the determining factor. San Diego thinks he is steadily unlocking a higher and higher ceiling and believe $400K will be buying low in a few years.
Slot value: $449,500. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($49,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Padres handed out a healthy $400K bonus to James Guyette, a sleeper who didn't appear on many boards. One of four Southern Californians in this Padres draft class (all from the LA suburbs, a shutout of San Diego County), Guyette barely pitched as a freshman at Kansas State then became a key part of the Wildcats' bullpen as a sophomore in 2025. Jumping into the rotation in 2026, his surface numbers looked ugly (5.56 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) but he looks to be trending up. He made his best start of the season near the end of the year against Cincinnati (9 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 13 K) and finished with a strong 27.9% strikeout rate, notably moving from the first base to third base side of the rubber. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 97 at peak, coming in with run and sink from a sidearm slot. His sweeper dives across the plate and could be plus with a little more refinement, while his changeup has come along nicely and gives him a third solid pitch. His command is fringy and will be the key to unlocking the next level of his success, especially as San Diego asks him to execute more nuanced game plans. A sidearming righty, Guyette gets good extension to make his pitches play up further and provides a difficult look for hitters. With experience starting and relieving, he has the three pitch mix and size to cut it in either role but command will be the determining factor. San Diego thinks he is steadily unlocking a higher and higher ceiling and believe $400K will be buying low in a few years.
6-186: SS Nu'u Contrades, Arizona State
Slot value: $350,100. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($50,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #225. ESPN: #249.
San Diego grabbed an interesting bat in the sixth round, again banking on upward trajectory. Nu'u Contrades was a well known bat out in Hawaii, then immediately hit .309 as a true freshman at Arizona State. After missing most of the 2024 season, he hit .304 as a junior in 2025 but went undrafted. Teams loved the pure hitting ability, but with just 15 home runs over three years and 105 games in hitter-friendly conditions, they weren't sold on the power. He found his power stroke and then some in 2026, swatting 21 home runs while slashing .366/.434/.762 across 53 games. He's not big at 5'10" but he has filled out his frame pretty well and has gotten better about elevating. It's still probably fringy power when he switches to wood bats and leaves the desert, but now the Padres can be confident he'll have enough thump to keep pitchers honest. While Contrades chases at a high rate, he rarely ever misses and that has remained true everywhere he has gone. If he can rein in that approach just a little bit, he has shown that he has enough power to hit 15+ home runs per season by choosing better pitches to turn on. Drafted as a shortstop, he has decent defensive tools and could probably cut it there in a pinch, but he's probably a second or third baseman long term. That puts a little more pressure on his bat, where the uptick in power will come in handy as he chases high batting averages and remains a thorn in pitchers' sides with a refusal to strike out.
Slot value: $350,100. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($50,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #225. ESPN: #249.
San Diego grabbed an interesting bat in the sixth round, again banking on upward trajectory. Nu'u Contrades was a well known bat out in Hawaii, then immediately hit .309 as a true freshman at Arizona State. After missing most of the 2024 season, he hit .304 as a junior in 2025 but went undrafted. Teams loved the pure hitting ability, but with just 15 home runs over three years and 105 games in hitter-friendly conditions, they weren't sold on the power. He found his power stroke and then some in 2026, swatting 21 home runs while slashing .366/.434/.762 across 53 games. He's not big at 5'10" but he has filled out his frame pretty well and has gotten better about elevating. It's still probably fringy power when he switches to wood bats and leaves the desert, but now the Padres can be confident he'll have enough thump to keep pitchers honest. While Contrades chases at a high rate, he rarely ever misses and that has remained true everywhere he has gone. If he can rein in that approach just a little bit, he has shown that he has enough power to hit 15+ home runs per season by choosing better pitches to turn on. Drafted as a shortstop, he has decent defensive tools and could probably cut it there in a pinch, but he's probably a second or third baseman long term. That puts a little more pressure on his bat, where the uptick in power will come in handy as he chases high batting averages and remains a thorn in pitchers' sides with a refusal to strike out.
7-215: 2B Joe Tiroly, Virginia
Slot value: $276,400. Signing bonus: $225,000 ($51,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #147. ESPN: #168.
Continuing the theme, Joe Tiroly is a hit over power guy trending up, in fact with a very similar profile to Nu'u Contrades. Beginning his career at Rider, he won MAAC Player of the Year honors in 2025 by hitting .377/.481/.749 with 18 home runs as a sophomore. As all great mid major Northeast players seem to do, he transferred to Virginia for his junior season but started slow coming off a foot injury. As he got healthy and warmed up, he hit .328/.400/.571 in ACC conference play and showed scouts he was a real all-around threat at the plate. Tiroly makes a ton of contact, striking out at just a 14.1% clip in 2026 despite the jump in competition and walking at a reasonable clip. Despite more of an average frame, he can turn on the ball for surprising power and that's how most of his 44 career home runs have come, with solid exit velocity data to back it up. While some scouts are skeptical of his transition to wood bats, the Padres believe he'll continue to show at least fringy power to go along with above average bat to ball. A below average runner and athlete, Tiroly won't see any reps at shortstop and will likely be fringy at either second or third base. He profiles as a bat-first utility infield type who could see starts against lefties, but if he hits like the Padres believe he's capable, he could carve out an everyday role for himself on day.
Slot value: $276,400. Signing bonus: $225,000 ($51,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #147. ESPN: #168.
Continuing the theme, Joe Tiroly is a hit over power guy trending up, in fact with a very similar profile to Nu'u Contrades. Beginning his career at Rider, he won MAAC Player of the Year honors in 2025 by hitting .377/.481/.749 with 18 home runs as a sophomore. As all great mid major Northeast players seem to do, he transferred to Virginia for his junior season but started slow coming off a foot injury. As he got healthy and warmed up, he hit .328/.400/.571 in ACC conference play and showed scouts he was a real all-around threat at the plate. Tiroly makes a ton of contact, striking out at just a 14.1% clip in 2026 despite the jump in competition and walking at a reasonable clip. Despite more of an average frame, he can turn on the ball for surprising power and that's how most of his 44 career home runs have come, with solid exit velocity data to back it up. While some scouts are skeptical of his transition to wood bats, the Padres believe he'll continue to show at least fringy power to go along with above average bat to ball. A below average runner and athlete, Tiroly won't see any reps at shortstop and will likely be fringy at either second or third base. He profiles as a bat-first utility infield type who could see starts against lefties, but if he hits like the Padres believe he's capable, he could carve out an everyday role for himself on day.
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