A midseason update to the Padres’ top-20 prospects

The Padres on Sunday dropped a giant, 6-foot-8 left-hander into the farm system, continuing to reload an organization that has been hit hard by A.J. Preller trades over the last several seasons.

The 2025 draft class also includes a talented high school catcher and collegiate outfielder that figure to join Kruz Schoolcraft as top-20 talents when they sign.

Maybe higher.

After all, the trade deadline is around the corner and who’s who in the Padres system might look quite a bit different after Preller finishes his shopping for the big-league team.

1 | SS Leo De Vries

2025 team(s): Fort Wayne (A+)
2025 stats: .248 AVG, .359 OBP, .406 SLG, 6 HRs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs, 6 steals, 45 walks, 64 strikeouts (71 games, 266 ABs)
Need to know: One of the top prospects in the game, De Vries will return to Fort Wayne after representing the Padres over the weekend in Atlanta in the All-Star Futures Game. The youngest player in the Midwest League, the 18-year-old switch-hitter was the circuit’s player of the month in April (1.0003 OPS, 4 HRs) before slumping in May (.600 OPS) and June (.659 OPS). De Vries is hitting .290/.371/.548 through the first eight games in July.

2 | C Ethan Salas

2025 team(s): San Antonio (AA)
2025 stats: .188 AVG, .325 OBP, .219 SLG, 0 HRs, 5 RBIs, 5 runs, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 steals (10 games, 32 ABs)
Need to know: He’s been sidelined since mid-April with a stress reaction in his lower back, although the Padres say he will return to Texas League action before the end of the season. Salas signed for $5.6 million as the top international prospect in 2023, but he followed up a strong first year in pro ball (9 HRs, .752 OPS) with a .599 OPS and four homers in 111 games last year in the Midwest League and this season barely got started before Salas hit the injured list.

3 | LHP Kruz Schoolcraft

2025 team(s): 2025 draftee
2025 stats: N/A
Need to know: The 6-foot-8 Tennessee recruit was drafted 25th overall this week. He sits 93-97 mph with a mid-80s slider and a plus change-up. Schoolcraft just won a second straight Oregon Gatorade player of the year award. He struck out 96 over 54 innings (0.39 ERA) to cap his high school career.

Padres pitching prospect Boston Bateman began 2025 at low Single-A Lake Elsinore. (Artur Ivanov/Lake Elsinore Storm)

4 | LHP Boston Bateman

2025 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A)
2025 stats: 5-5, 4.20 ERA, 72 strikeouts, 24 walks, 1.31 WHIP, .246 opponent avg., 64⅓ IP (14 starts)
Need to know: He signed for $2.5 million as the Padres’ second-round pick last year and offers plenty to dream on as a 6-foot-8 mountain of a pitcher. He pairs a 97 mph fastball with a big curveball and a developing changeup. He’s already completed six innings in a start in the California League and struck out as many as nine in putting a good first foot forward.

5 | LHP Kash Mayfield

2025 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A)
2025 stats: 0-4, 3.18 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 17 walks, 1.21 WHIP, .192 opponent avg., 34 IP (12 starts)
Need to know: Last year’s first-rounder missed roughly three weeks with shoulder discomfort, but he has an 0.66 ERA in 13 ⅔ innings across six abbreviated starts since returning to action. Mayfield sits 92-95 mph with a low-80s changeup standing out among his three-pitch mix.

6 | RHP Humberto Cruz

2025 team(s): ACL Padres (R), Lake Elsinore (A)
2025 stats: 0-4, 6.85 ERA, 21 strikeouts, 10 walks, 1.48 WHIP, .278 opponent avg., 23 ⅔ IP (10 starts)
Need to know: He’s thrown just 25 ⅔ innings since popping onto the radar last year, but that includes striking out six in 6 ⅓ innings since joining Lake Elsinore’s talent rotation. Cruz signed for $750,000 last year after the Padres had to trade for additional money after committing most of their bonus pool to De Vries. He’s touched 97 mph with plenty of room lefty for projection.

7 | RHP Braden Nett

2025 team(s): San Antonio (AA)
2025 stats: 5-4, 3.53 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 40 walks, 1.47 WHIP, .254 opponent avg., 71 ⅓ IP (20 games, 19 starts)
Need to know: The 2022 undrafted free agent can touch 99 mph, gets plenty of whiffs with a low-80s slider and continues to refine a five-pitch mix. His ceiling might ultimately be tied to throwing strikes and the raw, athletic pitcher has shaved his walk rate from 8.26 per nine innings in 2023 to 5.54 last year to 4.29 this year.

8 | RHP Miguel Mendez

2025 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A), Fort Wayne (A+)
2025 stats: 7-2, 2.04 ERA, 75 strikeouts, 24 walks, 1.12 WHIP, .204 opponent avg., 61⅔ IP (13 starts)
Need to know: An afterthought in the 2021 international class out of the Dominican Republic ($10,000), the 23-year-old has jumped as much as anyone in the system this year. He has struck out 57 batters in 10 starts (1.61 ERA, 50⅓ IP) since his promotion to the Midwest League. He’s been up to 101 mph and sits 95 to 100 mph with a high-80s slider and a developing feel for a changeup.

9 | 3B Kale Fountain

2025 team(s): ACL Padres (R), Lake Elsinore (A)
2025 stats: .240 AVG, .353 OBP, .336 SLG, 1 HR, 19 RBIs, 24 runs, 12 steals, 18 walks, 35 strikeouts (35 games, 125 ABs)
Need to know: An overpay as last year’s fifth-rounder ($1.7 million), the 19-year-old is limited to first base and DH duty as he returned from offseason Tommy John surgery. The power-hitting prospect is four games into his promotion to Lake Elsinore as he begins to make good on his promise as Nebraska’s career high school home run king.

10-| RHP Henry Baez

2025 team(s): San Antonio (AA)
2025 stats: 3-2, 2.08 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 30 walks, 1.05 WHIP, .198 opponent avg., 86⅔ IP (18 starts)
Need to know: The 22-year-old was added to the 40-man roster in November and has been in the conversation while the big-league team waded through various injuries. He sits 92 to 97 mph and was the Texas League’s pitcher of the month in June (1.13 ERA). The biggest question is how many bats he’ll miss in the majors.