Infielders to watch in the Padres’ farm system – elcajon newson Elcajon News only

Even with Ha-Seong Kim departing as a free agent, the Padres have plenty of shortstops on the diamond.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has become a Gold Glover in right field. Jackson Merrill was an All-Star in his first year in center field. Xander Bogaerts is a five-time Silver Slugger. Jake Cronenworth has made two All-Sar rosters. While the team has yet to decide which of those options will man the position in 2025 — if any — there is a strong argument that whatever they decide hould be considered a short-term solution.

Because the Padres have a new shortstop of the future in Leodalis De Vries.

The 18-year-old switch-hitter began the season as arguably the top international amateur and ended it as an all-star as the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League.

The class of the Padres’ infield prospects, De Vries is just beginning his ascent up the organization, but he’s shown in a small sample that he could follow the fast track that carried both Tatis and Merrill to the majors before their 21st birthday.

 

1   |   SS Leodalis De Vries

• Opening day age: 18
• How acquired: Signed as an international amateur in January 2024 (Dominican Republic)
• Height / Weight: 6-foot / 183 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Both / Right
• 2023 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A)
• 2023 stats: .238 avg., .361 OBP, .442 SLG, 11 HRs, 38 RBIs, 63 runs, 50 walks, 84 strikeouts, 13 steals (75 games, 360 plate appearances)
• Need to know: A year after signing C Ethan Salas as the top international prospect in 2023, the Padres added De Vries for $4.2 million to open the 2024 window. De Vriesdebuted as a 17-year-old at low Single-A Lake Elsinore. While he took some time to get settled, De Vries had 11 homers over his final 40 games in the California League (.963 OPS) when a right shoulder strain ended his season. De Vries got back on the diamond in time for the Arizona Fall League and won a fan vote to participate in the all-star game as the circuit’s youngest player. Before that, he became the youngest player to homer in the AFL since Bryce Harper in 2010. De Vries profiles an impact bat, defender and base-runner.

 

2   |   3B Kale Fountain

• Opening day age: 19
• How acquired: 5th round in 2024 (Norris High, Neb.)
• Height / Weight: 6-foot-5 / 225 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2023 team(s): Did not play
• Need to know: The Padres pegged him for 80-grade raw power when they signed Fountain for $1.7 million to lure him away for LSU, well above the recommending signing bonus for the 151st overall pick ($444,200). Fountain set Nebraska prep records in homers (31), RBIs (154) and steals (84), and actually broke the home run record while he was still a junior. He’ll have to wait a bit to get started on his pro career, however, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in October, which will eat into his 2025 season.

 

3   |   SS Cobb Hightower

• Opening day age: 20
• How acquired: 3rd round in 2024 (East Rowan High, N.C.)
• Height / Weight: 6-foot / 180 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2023 team(s): Did not play
• Need to know: He signed for slot ($852,300) as the 88th overall pick in the draft in July and will make his official debut next year after spending his initial time in the organization at the Padres’ Peoria complex. The Padres viewed Hightower as a plus hitter with plus bat speed, athleticism and speed capable of registering 4.2s down the line. Hightower was committed to the University of North Carolina.

 

4   |   3B Eguy Rosario

• Opening day age: 25
• How acquired: Signed as an international amateur in August 2015 (Dominican Republic)
• Height / Weight: 5-foot-7 / 150 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2023 team(s): El Paso (AAA)
• 2023 stats: .263 avg., .361 OBP, .531 SLG, 21 HRs, 70 RBIs, 67 runs, 51 walks, 88 strikeouts, 19 steals (95 games, 413 plate appearances)
• Need to know: A $300,000 signee on his 16th birthday, Rosario is the longest-tenured player in the organization. He has two 30-steal seasons and two 20-homer seasons in the minors, but he has yet to get an extended look as anything but a utility player since making his MLB debut in 2022. Rosario has long had the strongest infield arm in the system, but he began playing right field last summer to increase his versatility. While Rosario is a .245/.283/.500 hitter in 100 plate appearances in the majors, he’s done almost all of his damage against lefties (5 HRs, 1.217 OPS). Out of options in 2025, Rosario is currently playing in the Dominican winter league as he prepares to attempt to win a bench job this spring.

5   |   2B Rosman Verdugo

• Opening day age: 20
• How acquired: Signed as an international amateur in January 2022 (Mexico)
• Height / Weight: 6-foot / 180 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Right / Right
• 2023 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A), Fort Wayne (A+)
• 2023 stats: .235 avg., .340 OBP, .381 SLG, 10 HRs, 60 RBIs, 70 runs, 63 walks, 134 strikeouts (106 games, 481 plate appearances)
• Need to know: Mexico’s top amateur in 2022 signed for $700,000, debuted in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and hit seven home runs as a 17-year-old. His contact skills have drawn comparisons to former Padres prospect Luis Urias and he’s seen time at shortstop, second and third base as a pro. Verdugo hit .220/.308/.332 in 2023 at low Single-A Lake Elsinore, improved across the board (.250/.363/.407) in repeating the level to start 2024 and will need to return to Fort Wayne after hitting .186/.262/.299 in 25 games to finish the year in the Midwest League. Verdugo hit nine of his home runs in 81 games in the California League.

6   |   1B Romeo Sanabria

• Opening day age: 22
• How acquired: 18th round in 2022 (Indian River State College, Fla.)
• Height / Weight: 6-foot-3 / 200 pounds
• Bats / Throws: Left / Right
• 2023 team(s): Lake Elsinore (A), Fort Wayne (A+), San Antonio (AA)
• 2023 stats: .288 avg., .396 OBP, .427 SLG, 11 HRs, 78 RBIs, 65 runs, 84 walks, 115 strikeouts, 3 steals (125 games, 546 plate appearances)
• Need to know: Sanabria caught a couple games early in his stay in the organization, but he’s now strictly a first baseman who’ll have to slug his way up the ladder as slow foot speed will limit his defensive contributions. Toward that end, Sanabria — who signed for $50,000 — graduated two levels in 2024 to get his first taste of Double-A (.708 OPS) and ended the year in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .276/.364/.345 in 15 games.

 

Others to know: 2B Clay Dungan (AAA), 3B Marcos Castañon (AA), 2B Ripken Reyes (AA), 3B Lucas Dunn (AA), 1B Ethan Long (A+), 1B Addison Kopack (A+), SS Wyatt Hoffman (A+), 3B Devin Ortiz (A+), 2B Nerwilian Cedeño (A+), 1B Jack Costello (A), SS Nik McClaughry (A+), SS B.Y. Choi (A), SS Chase Valentine (A).