10 Padres Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30

The Padres Top 30 prospects rankings are up now for Baseball America subscribers, with full scouting reports, BA grades and tools grade projections for all 30 players.

Through the process of narrowing the list down to a Top 30, there are other intriguing names who didn’t make the cut but are worth monitoring, with the potential to jump into the Top 30 in the future. Some of those are players who might be in the upper levels and could see big league time this year, though likely in a limited role, while others are lower-level players still in the complex leagues with more upside but plenty of risk.

Beyond the Top 30, these are 10 prospects to watch in San Diego’s farm system.

Daniel Montesino, 1B/OF. Tommy John surgery erased Montesino’s first full year of pro ball before it got started. He signed for $1 million in January 2021 and hit .316/.444/.489 with four homers in 56 games in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.  

Matt Batten, INF. The 27-year-old utilityman is adept at seven positions and hit a career-high 12 homers at Triple-A El Paso to earn his first look in the majors in 2022. His ceiling is limited, but he is a good bet as an up-down utilityman who can help bridge gaps while a team contends with injuries.  

Pedro Avila, RHP. A former top 30 prospect in the system who debuted in the majors before having Tommy John surgery in 2019, Avila was added to the Padres 40-man roster after striking out 124 batters in 112 innings (4.58 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) in 2022 at Triple-A El Paso. He profiles as a spot starter or a swingman.  

Jose Castillo, LHP. Finally back from an array of injuries that derailed him after his 2018 debut, Castillo struck out 65 batters while posting a 2.59 ERA over 48.2 innings and rising all the way back to Triple-A El Paso. He had a brief callup in 2022 and should figure into the bullpen plans in 2023.  

Raymond Kerr, LHP. The lanky southpaw can throw six pitches but is at his best when he’s throwing a plus slider off a four-seamer that touches 101 mph when his mechanics are sound. He made his big league debut in 2022 but struggles with consistency.

Taylor Kohlwey, OF. The 28-year-old is a .306/.386/.447 hitter with 18 homers in parts of three seasons (866 at-bats) at Triple-A El Paso. The former Division III standout profiles as a reserve corner outfielder/first baseman who can provide a tough at-bat off the bench.  

Moises Lugo, RHP. Lugo’s stuff ticked up with a move to the bullpen in 2022, especially his plus slider. He struggled to finish the year at hitter-friendly Triple-A El Paso but remains a relief prospect worth keeping an eye on.  

Marcos Castanon, 3B. The 23-year-old was tied for the system lead with 23 homers after spending his first full season at Low-A Lake Elsinore (.882 OPS). A 12th-rounder in 2021 out of UC Santa Barbara, Castanon has always hit and saw his power surge after making a swing adjustment to keep from pulling off the ball.   

Kevin Kopps, RHP. The 2021 Golden Spikes winner still boasts a plus gyro-like cutter/slider, but he struggled to land it for strikes and couldn’t entice enough hitters to chase it at Double-A. With a below-average fastball, Kopps needs his slider to be on point to become an option in San Diego.  

Jackson Wolf, LHP. A funky southpaw with some deception and pitchability, Wolf has fringe-average stuff across the board and will need to solve righties as he climbs the ladder.