The past few seasons have seen the San Diego Padres go into buy-everything-that-moves mode in one offseason and then start selling off some of those acquired talents the following year. After an offseason saw them acquire Matt Kemp, the Upton brothers, Craig Kimbrel, and Wil Myers, the Padres have now dealt Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit away and signed free agent Alexei Ramirez. The Padres don’t appear to be headed in any clear direction and it has many fans scratching their heads and wondering what is going on with the team.
Though they have made some questionable decisions in the past regarding their future, the Padres have been able to stockpile up some decent Minor League talent. The trade of Craig Kimbrel to the Red Sox brought home two top 100 prospects to a farm system that already had promising players like Colin Rea and Hunter Renfroe. The Padres have a few great prospects in their organization and then a few duds, but there are still some players here for dynasty owners to target in drafts and trades.
Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. Our rankings assistant tool combines all our staff's ranks in one place. You can easily filter and export all sorts of rankings and tiers - mixed leagues, points leagues, AL/NL only, top prospects, dynasty ranks, keeper values, and more.
San Diego Padres Top 10 Dynasty Prospects
These are the top ten prospects for the San Diego Padres in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners in the next few seasons.
1. Manuel Margot (OF, AA)
Stats: 282 PA, .271/.326/.419, 3 HR, 19 SB, 7.4% BB rate, 12.8% K rate
ETA: 2017
There are few prospects in the minors with as much upside as Manuel Margot. In the past, Margot has flashed 15+ home run power and has always displayed his 20+ stolen base speed. Though his speed is the real standout skill, it’s his solid approach to the plate which sees him constantly drive the ball and display an advanced understanding of the strike zone that allows him to make the most of his speed. He should be a solid bet to hit .280 or better at the Major League level and steal his fair share of bases. His power may take a hit in Petco, but Margot is still an absolute must-own in all dynasty leagues.
2. Javier Guerra (SS, A)
Stats: 477 PA, .279/.329/.449, 15 HR, 7 SB, 6.3% BB rate, 23.5% K rate
ETA: 2018
Another top prospect dealt to the Padres in the Craig Kimbrel trade, Javier Guerra is likely the future at shortstop for the San Diego Padres. Not only is he an elite defender, but he has a lot to offer on the offensive side as well. Last season, Guerra mashed 15 home runs, demonstrating the plus power that scouts have been talking about. Guerra does not have much in the way of speed, but his plus bat should be able to provide a high enough batting average and enough home runs to make fantasy owners forget that fact. There is little doubt that Guerra will make it to the majors, if not for his bat then for his glove, making him a relatively low risk shortstop prospect to own. There are plenty of other shortstop prospects out there with a more compelling bat, but Guerra still shows enough promise to make him worth owning in all dynasty leagues.
3. Ruddy Giron (SS, A)
Stats: 419 PA, .285/.335/.407, 9 HR, 15 SB, 6.9% BB rate, 16.2% K rate
ETA: 2018
After struggling in his first taste of professional baseball in 2014, Ruddy Giron exploded onto the scene in 2015 at A-ball. Giron flashed some power, some speed, and the ability to hit for a solid average, all those tools combined with the fact that he is shortstop make dynasty owners salivate at the idea of owning him. While it may be a stretch to assume that Giron is a lock to be a 20/20 player, the upside is there for him to hit 10-15 home runs per season and steal 20-30 bases per season. At age 19, Giron still has a few years of development left before he will be ready to have an impact at the Major League level, but dynasty owners should view Giron as a must own player in all leagues.
4. Hunter Renfroe (OF, AAA)
Stats: 95 PA, .333/.358/.633, 6 HR, 1 SB, 4.2% BB rate, 21.1% K rate
ETA: 2016
Taken with the 13th overall pick back in 2013, the expectations have always been high for the now 24-year-old Hunter Renfroe and it looks like he is getting very close to bringing his talent to the majors and proving that the Padres did not waste that pick. Renfroe has demonstrated excellent power in the minors, blasting 20 or more home runs in both 2014 and 2015 while keeping the strikeouts relatively low for a power hitter. Though Petco Park will scare off some dynasty owners for a player whose most dominant tool is his power, Renfroe’s future home should not be enough to completely deter all owners from taking the risk on the right fielder. Renfroe is a medium risk/medium reward player and should be owned in all keeper leagues.
5. Travis Jankowski (OF, MLB)
Stats: 96 PA, .211/.245/.344, 2 HR, 2 SB, 4.2% BB rate, 25.0% K rate
ETA: 2016
Travis Jankowski has the kind of game changing speed that gives him excellent fantasy value. Jankowski puts his speed to use in many different ways, besides the obvious impact he has on the basepaths. He has become excellent at putting the ball in play, whether it be by bunting or just simply putting the ball on the ground, Jankowski uses his speed to help him reach base more often. Once on base, he is a force to be reckoned with as he stole 33 bases across three levels in 2015 and 71 bases back in 2013 at High-A. Jankowski does not have an immediate path to playing time this season, but with his potential to steal 30-40 bases given a full season of work, Jankowski is worth owning in dynasty leagues.
6. Jose Rondon (SS, AA)
Stats: 107 PA, .190/.219/.230, 0 HR, 1 SB, 3.7% BB rate, 14.0% K rate
ETA: 2018
Though his skillset is not overwhelmingly great in any one area, Jose Rondon still looks like a solid bet to eventually become a Major League regular at one of the middle infield positions. Rondon’s most dependable attribute is his ability to make solid contact which many scouts believe should allow him to hit well enough in the majors to make him worth owning. Though he does possess some speed, Rondon will not be tearing up the basepaths in the majors and could have a ceiling of about 15 stolen bases per season. Though his upside is limited, Rondon is a solid bat to own for dynasty teams looking for middle infield depth.
7. Colin Rea (SP, MLB)
Stats: 31.2 IP, 4.26 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 7.39 K/9, 3.13 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9
ETA: 2016
Colin Rea has already demonstrated in the majors that he is worth owning for dynasty owners. Rea is not an overpowering pitcher by any means as his fastball generally sits in the low-90s and he has average, but not great secondary pitches. His command is good enough to convince fantasy owners that he is not going to beat himself up at any point. The 25-year-old right hander is not going to be a front of the rotation arm, but Rea would serve as a reliable source of steady production for dynasty owners in need of some starting pitching depth.
8. Austin Smith (SP, R)
Stats: 17.0 IP, 7.94 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 5.82 K/9, 4.76 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: 2019
Sure the numbers are ugly, but that was Austin Smith’s first taste of professional action. Smith has all the stuff that teams would look for in a future starting pitcher: he has the solid repertoire (mid-90s fastball, power curveball, and average changeup) and decent command over all of his pitches. Not a small player by any means, the 6’4” righty also has the type of body that many would look for when trying to determine durability. Smith is worth picking up in most dynasty leagues as he looks likely to reach his upside as a middle of the rotation starter.
9. Logan Allen (SP, A-)
Stats: (from R) 20.0 IP, 0.90 ERA, 1.06 FIP, 10.80 K/9, 0.45 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: 2020
The trend of trading players just months after they were drafted continued in baseball as the Red Sox dealt Logan Allen to the Padres after taking him with the 231st overall pick. Allen could end up being the steal of that draft as he has shown the potential to be a solid middle of the rotation starter. Allen possesses a low-90s fastball and three secondary pitches (curveball, slider, changeup) that all play as average pitches. His command is advanced for someone of his age, which helps reassure people that he can reach his ceiling. Allen may not be worth owning in shallow dynasty leagues, but he does present himself as a sleeper in deeper dynasty leagues.
10. Michael Gettys (OF, A)
Stats: 529 PA, .231/.271/.346, 6 HR, 20 SB, 5.3% BB rate, 30.6% K rate
ETA: 2018
Though Michael Gettys has plenty of speed and could steal 30+ bases per season, he simply does not reach base enough to take advantage of his speed. He could eventually develop some power, but most scouts view him as a defensive player only in the future. With his current problems with plate discipline and his lack of a consistent approach to the plate, he should not be counted on in shallow dynasty leagues. But owners in deeper dynasty leagues could take the risk and count on him putting everything together and reaching his full potential.
MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]