San Diego Padres Prospects to Know
Prospects to Know from the San Diego Padres system for 2025.
You are reading the free version of the San Diego Padres Top Prospects. In this version, you will get the full writeups on the top prospect in the system, the biggest sleeper, and a player I could see breaking out in 2025.
In this edition, you will see what I offer in the full team reports. For every farm system, you will get my top 50 ranked players and detailed reports on the top 30. Each report includes advanced player data, traditional scouting thoughts from live and video looks, plus thoughts from scouts around the league.
Let’s dive in on what you get in the full report!
Glossary:
FFG = Future Fantasy Grade - essentially, what is the likely long-term outcome for the prospect? This is always going to be more conservative. Handing out ace tags is not something I like to do. So, this is a realistic outcome.
90th Peak = If the player hits their best-case outcome, what does it look like?
Variance = How risky is this player’s profile, and how likely are they to hit their likely outcome? Low variance is good; high means more risky.
Format for report: Name/Position/Age on 2025 Opening Day/Height/Weight/Highest Level
San Diego Padres Top Prospects To Know
Top Overall Prospect
1. Leodalis De Vries, SS, 18, 6’0”/183, A
De Vries was the top player to sign in the January 2024 signing period, receiving a $4.2 million bonus. The toolsy switch-hitter stands at 6’0”/183, receiving an aggressive assignment to Single-A for a 17-year-old. After a slow start in 2024, and justifiably so given his age, De Vries had an impressive second half.
Finishing the year with a .238/.361/.422 slash line with 11 home runs and 36 extra-base hits, De Vries also swiped 13 bases. He improved his contact all year and struck out at a 23 percent clip while walking in 14 percent of plate appearances.
De Vries starts with a narrow stance, slightly open, with the bat on his shoulder. Upon starting his swing, De Vries uses a slight leg kick to create good hand-to-hip separation. There is minimal hand movement pre-swing, but De Vries does have a small bat wrap about his head. He does an excellent job keeping his hands inside and having a point of contact in front of the plate.
He looks natural from both sides of the plate even though the swing can get a big long from the right side. The splits are good, as De Vries posted a .779 OPS from the left side and .865 from the right. Interestingly, De Vries hit seven home runs in 99 right-handed plate appearances. It will be something to watch, but De Vries has shown strong traits from both sides of the plate as a young hitter.
The underlying data looks good, and De Vries posted a solid 102 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which topped out at 110 mph in the Arizona Fall League. He gets the ball in the air often, having an air percentage of around 67 percent. The ability to pull the ball in the air led to an impressive xwOBAcon north of .400.
De Vries’ overall contact rate improved all season and was above average at 72 percent. The in-zone mark of 80 percent and the 25 percent chase rate a strong eye and good bat-to-ball skills for his age. De Vries is selective and picks his spots well, which creates a good quality of contact. These skills should only continue to improve with age and more experience in pro ball.
We were teased by the star upside of De Vries when he signed, and you never know how it plays out. After the second half of 2024, the upside is clear; De Vries can be one of the best prospects in baseball.
FFG: Top 10 SS
90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.360/25 HR/15 SB
Variance: High
Buy/Sell: Buy
Padres Sleeper Prospect
7. Isaiah Lowe, RHP, 21, 6’1”/220, A+
Lowe was a former 11th-rounder in the 2022 draft out of Combine Academy in North Carolina, who received a $400k bonus. Shoulder issues derailed Lowe and limited him to just 12 innings between 2022 and 2023, but he bounced back in 2024. Across 105 innings, Lowe posted a strong 3.33 ERA between Single-A and High-A, striking out 111 batters and walking 46.
Considering he was coming off a shoulder injury, throwing strikes at a 63 percent clip will play. He posted a strong 14 percent swinging strike rate and 30 percent CSW.
Lowe’s fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range, but he has been up to 96 mph with good riding life. The fastball also shows good east-west movement. The slider has shorter horizontal movement with some carry to it as well. The shape is sometimes inconsistent but has shown flashes of being an above-average offering. Lowe rounds out his arsenal with a changeup that is a bit firm at times but has shown flashes of being a solid offering.
Lowe currently profiles as a backend starter, given what he has shown. There is still reliever risk, but given the shorter track record, there still may be some untapped potential with Lowe.
FFG: SP5/RP
90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 120 IP/4.00 ERA/120 K
Variance: Extreme
Buy/Sell: Buy in Deeper Formats
San Diego Padres Breakout Prospect for 2025
12. Cobb Hightower, SS, 20, 6’0”/180, HS
Hightower landed with the Padres in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft, signing him away from his commitment to UNC. He was somewhat of a late riser in the draft cycle, but now it looks like a player more teams might regret not getting in on early.
The bat speed stands out when you watch Hightower, and he does a great job finding the barrel. Having a good weight distribution in his setup, he utilized a big leg kick for his 6’0” frame and creates a wide stride. The point of contact is strong and out in front of the plate, and Hightower keeps the bat's barrel in the zone for a long time.
He posted strong run times, having a 60-yard dash as fast at 6.6 seconds. The athleticism is there, and Hightower could have quite a well-rounded skillset. The knocks on his age should probably be ignored; Hightower has shown a good feel to hit, some sneaky power, and good speed early in his pro career.
FFG: Well Rounded SS
90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.330/15 HR/15 SB
Variance: High
Buy/Sell: Buy in Deep FYPD