San Diego Padres 2023 MLB Draft Report Card
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Revisiting the 2023 Padres MLB Draft class after the conclusion of the minor league season.
Best Pure Hitter: Outfielder Dillon Head (1) has impressive pure bat-to-ball skills and hand eye coordination to go along with an advanced ability to hit the ball to all fields. He simplified his lower half during the spring to improve his balance and timing. He has the tools and skills to be an above-average hitter, with better underlying hitting data than his .267/.363/.400 pro debut slash line might indicate.
Best Power Hitter: The Padres didn’t take many sluggers in the 2023 draft, instead opting for athletic, up-the-middle defenders. Second baseman Jay Beshears (6) has above-average raw power that played well to the pull side in college. He also managed some of the best exit velocities in San Diego’s draft class despite hitting just one home run in his 31-game pro debut.
Fastest Runner: Both Head (1) and outfielder Homer Bush Jr. (4) are speedsters, with the latter being a plus runner. But Head has consistently turned in 70-grade run times and has a chance to be a high-BABIP player who is active on the bases. Bush Jr. was the more aggressive base stealer in his pro debut, however, and stole 22 bags in 24 attempts—a 91.7% success rate.
Best Defensive Player: Again, both Bush Jr. (4) and Head (1) have compelling cases as plus center fielders, though Head seems more advanced as a defender at his age than Bush Jr. was at the same time. Additionally, Head has a chance for a plus throwing arm, which gives him another asset in the field in addition to his speed and ball-hawking abilities.
Best Fastball: There aren’t many elite present fastballs in this San Diego draft class. Righthander Sam Whiting (16) touched 96 mph in his pro debut, and Carson Mongomery (11) has been up to 98, though his fastball has always played down from that velocity. Projecting into the future, lefthander Blake Dickerson (12) has a chance for an above-average fastball as he fills out a lean and lanky frame, though currently he pitches in the 88-92 mph range.
Best Secondary Pitch: Montgomery (11) does have an above-average breaking ball with his mid-80s slider. The breaking ball had around 11 inches of horizontal movement during the spring and was his best swing-and-miss offering.
Best Pro Debut: Bush Jr. (4) slashed .325/.422/.439 with three home runs and nine doubles in his pro debut, which included eight games with Double-A San Antonio where he continued to hold his own. He was second to only Enrique Bradfield Jr. in stolen bases (22) and while his average exit velocity numbers need to improve, his top-end metrics were actually quite good.
Best Athlete: Like many other categories, Bush Jr. (4) and Head (1) are neck-in-neck here and are both viable candidates, but let’s go with the son of a former big leaguer who has a bit more present physicality—Bush Jr.
Most Intriguing Background: Outfielder and righthander Tucker Musgrove (7) might be one of the best two-way players in college baseball that you haven’t heard of after an excellent career with NAIA Mobile (Ala.). He is a career .398/.505/.668 hitter who homered 23 times, stole 43 bases and won the conference’s gold glove award for his defense in center field. As a pitcher, he posted a 3.00 ERA in 15 relief appearances in 2023 with 23 strikeouts and eight walks in 18 innings.
Closest To The Majors: Bush Jr. (4) has some carrying tools with his speed and defensive abilities. His bat appears more advanced than initially thought prior to the draft. Hitting well at Double-A is an excellent start to his pro career and his offensive bar to clear is less than most considering his defensive profile.
Best Day Three Pick (Or NDFA): After Dickerson (12) went unselected after the first two days, most probably assumed he was heading to Virginia Tech. The Padres found a way to sign him for $500,000 on the third day of the draft to make sure that didn’t happen, and they landed the No. 197 prospect in the class with the 371st pick.
