1-Man’s Opinion on Sports-Wednesday “Padres-Keeping Score at Home-Scoreboard Watching Too”

Posted by on April 5th, 2017  •  0 Comments  • 

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“Padres-Keeping Score at Home-Should Be Scoreboard Watching”

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The Padres series at Dodgers Stadium continues. The home opener is Friday with the Giants. Most all of us know where to find San Diego in the standings as the season goes on, regardless of the gem last night by journeyman pitcher Clayton Richard..

Thursday is a big day too for the Friars, not because they close out the series in LA, but because the future begins on Thursday, across the country, at the Padres minor league affiliates.

The baseball at Qualcomm this spring and summer may not be very good, I predicted a (60-102) record, but the baseball up I-15 could be pretty good.

The Padres have loaded the roster of the Lake Elsinore Storm. 8-of their top 20-prospects, will play for the California League affiliate.

Headlining that Class A-team will be a loaded pitching staff, highlited by Anderson Espinoza, who came in the Drew Pomeranz-Red Sox trade last summer. He is ranked the top arm in the minor league organization. With him in this talent-laded rotation, last year’s top draft picks, Calvin Quantrill from Stanford, and Eeric Lauer of Kent State, both who had success in their late summer debuts.

Also part of the LE mix are pitchers Joey Luccehssi and Pedro Avila, infielders Javy Guerra and Josh Naylor, and outfielder Mike Gettys, drafted the same year as Hunter Renfroe.

At Midwest League Fort Wayne, the Padres have stashed pitcher Logan Allen and Hansel Rodriguez, plus young infielders Fernando Tatis, son of the longtime major leaguer, and last year’s high pick Hudson Potts, plus Cuban outfielder Jorge Ona, who will play everyday for the Tincups..

Ona is the only Cuban, at age 20, starting in A-ball. All the rest remain in extended spring training with a likely summer in the Arizona Summer League.

At Texas League San Antonio, the Missions will have a couple of pitchers, who were in the big camp, 6’9 Brad Wieck and Mik Kelly, plus young infielder Luis Urias, and outfielder Nick Torres.

El Paso had a championship season in the PCL, but does not look to have as much strength this year. Yes Corey Spangenberg and Jabari Blash will start the season there, but odds are they’ll be up quickly.

Kid pitchers Walker Lockett and Phil Maton, who flashed in the spring with the big club, are just one phone call away from getting to Petco Park, if they start quickly with the Dogs. Ex-Dodger Zach Lee is one of the few veteran arms at El Paso, a rock solid AAA-pitcher, who has just never shown enough to stay in the show.

And this summer, the Friars will put 2-Arizona summer league teams together to house their International signings. That includes P-Adrian Morejon..SS-Luis Almanzar..SS-Gabe Arias..OF-Jeisson Rosario…OF-Tiso Ornelas…SS-Justin Lopez…SS-Jordy Barley and P-Ron Bolanos. All are 18 or under, so the learning-culture curve will be steep, and those are down-the-road prospects.

Once the opening weekend excitement at Petco Park is come and gone, and the reality sets in, maybe it’s better to dream a bit about what’s in the pipeline. Strength in numbers, lots of arms, but very young talent.

The standings you see in the newspaper and on the internet will say one thing over the course of the season. The future standings of the Padres major league team will hopefully say better times will be coming.

Tomorrow will be better than today for sure with Padres baseball. The future starts Thursday in the Padres minor league system.

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