Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
You can question the way Padres do business all you want, but you can't question their desire to push the chips in and try to win. Year after year, the Friars are shipping out prospects for major leaguers that will help them in the "here and now". The Mason Miller for Leo De Vries deal is one example of many over the last decade where AJ Preller has literally sold the farm for "win-now" pieces. After another second-place finish to the rival Dodgers, the Padres are left with a roster void of depth and a barren prospect cupboard. Next season (and beyond) will be challenging for Preller and the Padres because they are up against it with the payroll situation and do not have the prospect capital to make a splashy trade. You will see in the list below that the Padres have the fewest fantasy-relevant players of any organization (MiLB/MLB); depth is their number one issue.
On the hitting side, the Padres do not lack star power. Fernando Tatis Jr. is as talented as any hitter on the planet. He hasn't quite been able to duplicate his 2021 season, but that elite level of performance is still there as he heads into his age-27 season. Manny Machado's consistency is second to none; he continues to play like an all-star despite just completing his fourteenth season. Jackson Merrill had a tougher Sophomore season after being so dominant during his rookie year. He will look to regain his 2024 mojo in 2026. Xander Bogaerts has eight (!) years/200+ million remaining on his contract, and he just turned 33; tough sledding ahead. This is where the lineup starts to fall off a cliff; Laureano and Sheets can be serviceable for stretches, but depth will need to be a focus for the Padres.
The Padres' rotation is a shell of what it was just a year ago. Dylan Cease and Michael King became free agents while Yu Darvish hurt his elbow and underwent an internal brace procedure. What's left is a bit scary. Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove are very good starters when health permits; they will need to be at their best all season for the Friars to have a chance. Mid-level free agents might be the ticket for this team, but one thing they could do is move some of their bullpen pieces into the rotation. Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller have both been starters in the past and have the arm talent to succeed in the role. Robert Suarez who closed out 40 games in 2025, no longer leads one of the best bullpens we've seen in recent memory. If Miller becomes a starter, Jeremiah Estrada might be the heir apparent to the 9th inning.
Preller has a scouting background and is among the best talent identifiers in the world. He has a knack for unearthing hidden gems from the IFA classes and restocking the system as quickly as he ships them out. A couple of lefty arms headline this system in Kash Mayfield and Kruz Schoolcraft, and have the talent to be mid-rotation starters. Ethan Salas remains a confounding figure and will need to take multiple steps forward if he wants to be fantasy-relevant. There are several low-level talents in the system that simply need time to develop. Even the great AJ Preller can't keep up with the rate at which prospects have graduated or been shipped out of town.
This team could have one or two more playoff runs with this core and roster. Beyond that, this front office will need to work some magic to remain relevant in the National League playoff conversation.
We were all ready to stamp his Cooperstown ticket after his rookie season—I was. But 2025 was an adjustment year. Pitchers exploited his vulnerability against pitches up and away, though he started turning the corner late. He slashed .275/.320/.626 with seven homers in September. The underlying batted-ball data still looks excellent: 13% barrel rate and one of the league’s best sweet-spot launch-angle profiles. He didn’t run at all this year—literally one stolen base, 15 fewer than last season. It’s hard to imagine he suddenly stops running. Expect a rebound in steals.
Jeremiah Estrada
If Mason Miller shifts into the rotation, Estrada is the obvious fit to take over as closer. His stuff is filthy. He gets 40%+ whiffs on both his splitter and slider, and nearly 30% on a 98 mph fastball. The long ball hurt him this year (12 HR in 73 IP), but the overall profile screams high-leverage dominance.
Dynasty Sells
Xander Bogaerts
This is now two straight seasons of 11 home runs. You weren’t expecting a ton more, but as he ages, that number should trend even lower. His power relies on pulling liners down the line, and he hit very few balls with authority to left-center. He isn’t a burner anymore, and a steep decline feels imminent. Now is the time to move him if you still can.
Nick Pivetta
This recommendation leans heavily on his 2025 production — and to be fair, it was excellent. He posted a 2.87 ERA, a 13–5 record, and a 0.99 WHIP. If you can sell him at that price point, or even for 90 cents on the dollar, it’s worth considering. That said, there are some clear yellow flags. His strikeout rate has declined for three straight seasons, but it still remains solid overall. You should expect something closer to a high-3s ERA than another sub-3 campaign. He also logged a career-high workload, and several of his indicators suggest some natural regression is coming. He’ll still be a useful fantasy arm — just not one you should count on repeating elite-level numbers.
Top Fantasy Prospects
Players are in order of their fantasy prospect ranking from our September end of season list.
Schoolcraft is an athletic, ultra-projectable left-handed pitcher standing 6’8 and weighing 230 lbs as a teenager. The Oregon native was the Padres’ 25th overall pick of the 2025 Draft and has immense upside, leading the dynasty team to ranking him 217th of all prospects in late September 2025 – good for 32nd of FYPDs or a second-third round selection therein. The fastball sits mid-90s and touches 97, though scouts expect a velocity jump as he fills out his extra-large frame; the heater roars down the mound on strong extension from a low release point and moves well in-zone. Schoolcraft’s slider snaps late and he can spot it gloveside despite command inconsistency; the changeup has potential with its downward tumble and speed variance from the other pitches, all of which will theoretically see command improvements through professional development and refinement. Admittedly, part of Schoolcraft’s appeal to pro teams was the concept of two-way potential, but for fantasy purposes, it is best not to look a gift horse in the mouth and accept the 6’8 left-hander for the intriguing prospect he is. There will be a delay as Schoolcraft is molded, but he could comfortably be an SP2 if everything clicks in his development. - Drew Wheeler
Kash Mayfield made his pro debut at Single-A in 2025, a surprise given that he was drafted by the Padres out of high school and that prep pitchers tend to begin their professional careers at the Complex. Mayfield was ready for the challenge, though, and pitched to a 2.97 ERA (3.06 FIP) in 19 starts at the level. The Padres managed his innings throughout the season, as he pitched only 60.2 innings in those 19 starts. Even then, it’s a big step for Mayfield, and in 2026, he’ll likely start at High-A and pitch deeper into games. Like most prep pitchers, he struggled with command (10.9% walk rate), but still has time to work on it, and his 34.1% strikeout rate was more than enough to overcome it for now. He’s a lefty with a plus changeup as his best pitch, which is a great spot to be in to reach his ceiling as a potential front-line starter. - Raj Mehta
Salas may one day be the best defensive catcher in baseball, but his advanced glove (or just the Padres being the Padres) has led to aggressive assignments year after year, and his offensive profile has been trending in the wrong direction because of it. 2025 was looking to be another similar season as he posted just a .188 batting average through his first 10 games in Double-A, but a stress reaction in his back cost him the rest of the season. Back injuries can linger throughout a player's career, but he is reportedly going to be a full go for spring training, and it's possible the missed time could be a blessing in disguise, as it halted the lightspeed ascent up the system that the Padres had been sending him on. His stock has been slipping, and he now sits outside the top 300 here at Prospects Live, but he could return looking rejuvenated after missing essentially an entire season. He's not a buy just yet, and you'll likely never see him match his peak value from a couple of years ago, but keep a close eye on his start to the 2026 season. - Kyle Sonntag
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Amateur Scouting, proud to lead and share the team's work. | Check out Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live and College Baseball Now everywhere! | Grateful for family, the Vols, and everyone who reads Prospects Live. | For His Glory.
