Padres Bet On Kash Mayfield’s Upside In First Round
Lefthander Kash Mayfield sat in the high 80s as he wrapped his junior year at Elk City (Okla.) High.
He had identified areas where he could make gains away from the mound, so he did the unthinkable heading into the showcase season.
He took the summer off.
“I didn’t want to go into the summer and possibly risk an injury,” the 19-year-old Mayfield said. “. . . (So I was) just kind of developing my whole body again. Strengthening my shoulder, my back, strengthening my core and my legs . . .
“That ended up being a really good decision to take the summer off. I don’t think I would be in this situation if I didn’t.”
That situation is the start of a professional career with the Padres as the No. 25 overall pick.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Mayfield signed for $3.44 million after allowing just four hits during a standout senior season that saw him strike out 114 batters in 44 innings en route to a state semifinals run.
The Padres were most interested in a fastball that, after an offseason of work, jumped from the high 80s to the low-to-mid 90s and has been as high as 97 mph. Mayfield also has advanced secondaries in an upper-70s slider and a low-80s changeup and a fluid three-quarters arm slot to dream on.
Padres scouts remained in touch with Mayfield as he worked away from the mound last summer. They liked how his profile had progressed when he got back on the mound in February at the Prep Baseball Report Super 60 Pro Showcase.
Then in July, the Padres made Mayfield their eighth straight high school first-round pick, a run that includes 2024 all-stars Jackson Merrill and CJ Abrams.
“He does it easy,” said Chris Kemp, the Padres’ vice president of amateur and international scouting. “His fastball will be 93-96 (mph). He throws a lot of strikes. 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 of the package.”
FATHER FIGURES
— The Padres signed 21 of their 22 draftees. Only 20th-round, Auburn-committed catcher Chase Fralick did not come to an agreement. The class included 17 collegians, which should begin to back-fill a system depleted this year in the deals for Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, Jason Adam and Tanner Scott.
— Shortstop Leodalis De Vries was named the California League’s hitter of the month for July. The 17-year-old led the circuit in runs (26), home runs (eight) and total bases (59) and finished second in slugging (.694) and OPS (1.136).
