Padres take lefty pitcher Kash Mayfield with 25th overall Draft pick
AJ Cassavell
@AJCassavellSAN DIEGO -- The Padres have had plenty of success lately drafting high school players. On Sunday, they stuck to the formula that¡¯s been working for them.
To the surprise of no one, San Diego selected a pair of high-upside high school pitchers in the first two rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft. With the 25th overall selection, the Padres drafted left-hander Kash Mayfield from Elk City High in Oklahoma. Then, they took lefty Boston Bateman from Adolfo Camarillo High in California with the 52nd pick.
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The selection of Mayfield, marked the ninth straight year the Padres have used a first-round pick on a high school player. Two of those picks -- Jackson Merrill and CJ Abrams -- are All-Stars this season.
¡°We go into it, it¡¯s best player available,¡± Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. ¡°I think, a little bit maybe in the industry right now, it seems to be pretty heavy on the college side. So that¡¯s opened us up to some players on the high school side that we¡¯ve really liked.¡±
And they really liked Mayfield.
The two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma, Mayfield just completed a remarkable senior season at Elk City. He went 8-0 with a 0.16 ERA across 44 innings. He struck out 115 hitters -- essentially 87% of his outs -- while allowing just four hits and eight walks. (He also batted .476 with a 1.593 OPS and 21 steals as a hitter.)
¡°He¡¯s a 6-5, 200-pound lefty that does it easy,¡± said Padres scouting director Chris Kemp. ¡°He¡¯s a winner -- I think he only lost one high school game in his career. We love the person, the work ethic and just the overall upside.¡±
Mayfield, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 30 Draft prospect, is committed to Oklahoma State University. Speaking with reporters on Sunday, however, he seemed to indicate a preference for signing with the Padres as quickly as possible.
¡°This is something I've always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid,¡± Mayfield said. ¡°Always wanted to go play at Oklahoma State. But pro ball was always that top gig I always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid. So I'm extremely excited.¡±
How might Mayfield¡¯s high school dominance translate to the Majors? His three-pitch arsenal is highlighted by an excellent changeup, which received a 60 grade on the 20-80 scale from MLB Pipeline. It¡¯s a low-80s pitch with drop that perfectly complements his mid-90s fastball with armside run. Mayfield also throws a higher-octane curveball in the upper 70s. The development of that breaking pitch might prove crucial in his ability to reach his ceiling.
In the pre-Draft process, Mayfield¡¯s age (19 years and 5 months on Draft Day) gave some teams pause, as did his lack of track record and data in prospect showcases. He skipped the summer circuit after his junior season to focus on resting his arm and building his strength. A growth spurt between his junior and senior years saw him grow four or five inches, he said.
¡°I didn¡¯t want to go into the summer and possibly risk an injury, so that¡¯s why I ended up deciding to take the summer off,¡± Mayfield said. ¡°I was kind of just redeveloping my whole body again. ¡ I set that goal, going into the senior season, have a great senior season there. It ended up being a really good decision by us to take that summer off. I don¡¯t think I would be in this situation if I didn¡¯t.¡±
Like everyone else, Mayfield has taken note as the Padres have promoted a number of their top prospects quickly through the system.
¡°It's extremely exciting,¡± he said. ¡°This is a great organization to be a part of. I'm very confident in the development standpoint, helping me get to where I need to be, helping me get up to the bigs as quickly as possible.¡±
The Padres, of course, have also dealt a number of their upper-level prospects in recent trades, and Preller was asked if that made it tempting at all to skew toward college players, given they¡¯re typically closer to the big leagues.
¡°It¡¯s constantly just, ¡®Let¡¯s just keep taking the best guy,¡¯¡± Preller said. ¡°And the good ones come quick. We¡¯ve seen it with a Jackson Merrill or a James Wood.¡±
Indeed, Merrill and Wood -- the Padres¡¯ top two picks in 2021 -- are an interesting comp for this duo. Yes, they were hitters and these are pitchers. But the Padres have clearly had success taking high schoolers early in the draft.
Bateman, the No. 57 Draft prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings, is a 6-foot-8 hard-thrower with an excellent curveball.
¡°Protecting the backyard, in the state of California, to get the big lefty,¡± Kemp said. ¡°Feels great to get these two guys.¡±
The Draft continues Monday with Rounds 3-10 and then concludes with Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.