So I decided to get the Minor League Baseball package where you can watch games online via the MiLB First Pitch App. It is turning into a tremendous decision.
On Wednesday night it was time to watch the San Antonio Missions, the Padres Double-A affiliate, beat the Frisco Roughriders from the Rangers system 5-3. You may have seen the Twitter hashtag #Padres2020WorldSeriesChamps. This lineup is a big reason why.
It was a veritable prospectpalooza on that field for the Missions, who won the 1st half of the Texas League season and are right back in first place again in the 2nd half. On the mound was Joey Lucchesi, number nine of the Padres Top-30 Prospects list (according to MLB.com). The 6-foot-4, 204-pound lefthander with the deceptive delivery and mid-90’s fastball is pitching to a 1.99 ERA since being promoted from Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Batting 1-2-3 in the lineup were 20-year-old infielder Luis Urias (3rd-ranked prospect), 18-year-old infielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (4th-ranked prospect) and 20-year-old 1st baseman Josh Naylor (10th-ranked prospect). They all had a base hit.
But while the position players in San Antonio are impressive it’s the arms that are truly exciting. This rotation might be better than the one they have at Petco Park. I don’t mean in the next few years, I mean RIGHT NOW.
On Thursday left-hander Eric Lauer (8th-ranked prospect) gets the start. He’s followed on Friday by righty Enyel Del Los Santos (13th-ranked prospect), who gives way to super stallion Cal Quantrill (2nd-ranked prospect) on Saturday. Then on Sunday they get to throw the strapping Jacob Nix (15th-ranked prospect), who is the right-handed version of Lucchesi at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.
All of these guys feature above-average, if not plus, stuff and have had success in the minor leagues already. Plus they’re all young. Other than Lucchesi none of these kids is more than 22 years old.
Now I know there have been plenty of guys who have looked great in the minors only to fizzle in The Show and none of these players is a can’t-miss guaranteed All-Star. But having followed the San Diego system for more than a decade I can honestly say I have never seen a collection of players with this kind of upside on one roster before, not even last year’s group at El Paso that won the Pacific Coast League title with Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe, Carlos Asuaje, Austin Hedges and Phil Maton.
So remember this year’s team by the Alamo. It’s certainly something to get excited about.
