The 7 Padres to keep a close eye on this spring
This browser does not support the video element.
PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Padres¡¯ Cactus League slate begins Friday. As always, feel free to tune in for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
But, really, as long as those superstars are healthy, their spring performance is inconsequential. That¡¯s not true for some other important spots on the spring roster. Here are seven Padres to watch as games get underway:
1. Ethan Salas
Salas is entering his second big league camp, and even if he¡¯s not a serious roster candidate, he¡¯s going to play. The 18-year-old backstop has spent the spring catching some of the team¡¯s veteran pitchers.
Rated the top international prospect two years ago, Salas struggled at High-A Fort Wayne last season, batting .206 with a .599 OPS. He was MLB Pipeline¡¯s eighth-ranked prospect last year, but fell to No. 33 in the 2025 rankings revealed last month.
2. Kyle Hart
Hart is perhaps the most intriguing pitcher in camp -- mostly because he¡¯s a novelty. He hasn¡¯t pitched in the Majors since 2020, and he¡¯s clearly a different pitcher than he was before spending the ¡®24 season in Korea.
Hart lowered his arm slot. His fastball velocity ticked up to around 92 mph. He developed a sweeper. As a result, Hart won the KBO¡¯s version of the Cy Young Award last year.
How does that stuff play against big league hitters? We¡¯ll find out this spring. Hart is in contention for the final spot in the Padres¡¯ rotation.
¡°Job to win,¡± Hart said, ¡°and there¡¯s a lot of talent in here.¡±
Ornelas has spent nearly eight years in the organization -- without a big league breakthrough. His career has been up-and-down, but he¡¯s clearly trending upward again after a solid season at Triple-A El Paso and a strong showing in winter ball.
Ornelas¡¯ path to a roster spot got tougher with the recent signings of Connor Joe and Jason Heyward to play left field. But even if he doesn¡¯t crack the Opening Day roster, Ornelas could earn a callup at some point this year. A strong spring would go a long way.
This browser does not support the video element.
4. Matt Waldron
More knuckleballs? Yep, more knuckleballs.
That¡¯s Matt Waldron¡¯s vision for 2025. After rewatching his most successful starts from ¡®24, he came away with this takeaway: He was most effective when he established his knuckler, then worked off it.
Waldron joins Hart and a few others in the competition for the final rotation place. The most interesting aspect of his spring will be his repertoire -- just how big an uptick will we see from last year¡¯s 38% knuckleball rate?
De Vries recently surpassed Salas as the top-ranked Padres prospect (No. 18) on MLB Pipeline¡¯s Top 100 list. The switch-hitting shortstop is in big league camp for the first time and already drawing high praise.
Time for De Vries to get his feet wet against big league-caliber pitching. He¡¯s still a long way from a big league breakthrough. But that doesn¡¯t make this spring any less exciting -- and he should see plenty of playing time at short.
This browser does not support the video element.
6. Eguy Rosario
Is this the year the 25-year-old Rosario establishes himself, after spending the past three seasons shuttling between levels while accruing 100 big league plate appearances?
Jobs are available on the bench, and Rosario, who is out of options, is one of the most intriguing candidates. He¡¯s versatile -- capable of playing second, third, short and left. And he¡¯s mashed against left-handed pitching, posting a 1.028 career OPS.
This browser does not support the video element.
There¡¯s an opening for Rosario to start against lefties, playing just about anywhere on the diamond (or DH). He¡¯ll need to seize it this spring.
Lately, Kolek has been picking the brain of Michael King -- and not only because King made the same transition from the bullpen to the rotation. Their five-pitch mix is similar, and Kolek is eager to learn the nuances of gameplanning as a starter.
¡°Getting to use the whole arsenal and learning to sequence a little bit better -- it¡¯s been a lot of fun,¡± Kolek said.
Kolek is on the fringe of the rotation battle and probably destined to open the year at Triple-A. But he could change that with a strong spring -- and would otherwise serve as a valuable depth piece.