Here are the Padres' 2025 Top 30 prospects

If you only check out the Padres¡¯ Top 30 prospects list right when it¡¯s released before the start of the season, you have much catching up to do. Twelve of last year¡¯s Top 30 have been traded to new organizations since the 2024 release, including 10 of the top 14 on that list. Five have graduated, headlined by Rookie of the Year runner-up Jackson Merrill, and five more have dropped off the list entirely while retaining eligibility.

In total, that makes 22 new spots up for grabs, and only eight returnees on San Diego¡¯s 2025 Top 30 list.

Of course, you can¡¯t talk about Padres prospects and not address the two biggest names: a pair of 18-year-olds in shortstop Leo De Vries (No. 1) and catcher Ethan Salas (No. 2). De Vries jumps over Salas for the lead position after skipping the complex leagues altogether (much like Salas in 2023) and really hitting his stride late with Single-A Lake Elsinore before a right shoulder strain ended his regular season early. (He made up for some of the lost time as the youngest player in the Arizona Fall League.) Salas will look to rebound from a difficult 2024 in which he posted just a .599 OPS at High-A Fort Wayne, but he remains firmly in the Top 100 because of his youth and exceptional defense behind the dish.

Beyond those two big talents, the Padres¡¯ 2024 Draft class fills in many of the remaining spots, nine to be exact. Sure, first-rounder Kash Mayfield and second-rounder Boston Bateman -- both prep left-handed pitchers -- naturally slide into the top five, but there are other interesting prospects from that group. Third-round shortstop Cobb Hightower has significant momentum after showing a potential above-average hit tool at the complex late in the summer. Outfielder Kavares Tears, the 134th overall pick, was one of the stars of Tennessee¡¯s Men's College World Series-winning club. Even 11th-rounder Sean Barnett brings some intrigue as a potential two-way player.

The constant trades and player movement from GM A.J. Preller and the Padres front office lead to considerable year-over-year Top 30 updates, but you can always say San Diego keeps its pipeline interesting.

Here¡¯s a look at the Padres¡¯ top prospects:

1. Leo De Vries, SS (MLB No. 18)
2. Ethan Salas, C (MLB No. 33)
3. Kash Mayfield, LHP
4. Humberto Cruz, RHP
5. Boston Bateman, LHP
Complete Top 30 list ?

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2024 preseason list to the 2025 preseason list:

Jump: Humberto Cruz, RHP (2024: NR | 2025: 4)
Cruz signed with the Padres for $750,000 out of Mexico in February 2024, making him the second-most notable international addition last year for the organization. He only made two starts in the Arizona Complex League, but he has all the makings of a potential Major League starter: good velo already around 93-95 mph, a decent slider, an above-average changeup and promising pitchability. The 2025 season could be when he places himself even more firmly on the national radar.

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Fall: Austin Krob, LHP (2024: 18 | 2025: NR)
In all honesty, Krob was a late cut from the list. The 2022 12th-rounder broke out with a 2.72 ERA across two A-ball levels in his first full season but couldn¡¯t match that success last year in a full campaign with Double-A San Antonio (4.43 ERA, 120 strikeouts, .273 average-against in 124 innings). Krob only sits 89-92 mph with his heat, and while he can generate whiffs with his breaking pitches and changeup, he faces an uphill climb as a starter who will be 25 on Opening Day.

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools ¨C 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 60 ¨C Leo De Vries
Power: 60 ¨C Kale Fountain
Run: 70 ¨C Kai Roberts
Arm: 60 ¨C Ethan Salas (Sean Barnett, Kavares Tears)
Defense: 70 ¨C Ethan Salas
Fastball: 65 ¨C Bradgley Rodriguez (Sean Reynolds)
Curveball: 60 ¨C Tyson Neighbors (Boston Bateman)
Slider: 60 ¨C Tyson Neighbors (Isaiah Lowe)
Changeup: 65 ¨C Bradgley Rodriguez
Cutter: 60 ¨C Francis Pena
Control: 55 ¨C Kash Mayfield (Humberto Cruz)

How they were built
Draft: 14 | International: 12 | Trade: 1 | NDFA: 1 | Rule 5: 2

Breakdown by ETA
2025: 8 | 2026: 7 | 2027: 7 | 2028: 4 | 2029: 1 | 2030: 3

Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 1B: 1 | 2B: 0 | 3B: 1 | SS: 5 | OF: 3 | RHP: 13 | LHP: 5