San Diego Padres: 2018 minor league awards

The San Diego Padres are now universally considered to have the top farm system in the game. Who were the top performers in that farm system in 2018?

As part of our continuing coverage at Call to the Pen of the minor leagues, we will be covering each organization’s top players for 2018. The coverage will go in reverse order of record. Today, we will look at the San Diego Padres.

We are going to review the system’s leaders for each organization statistically, then choose one hitter and one pitcher to honor for every team. This will be primarily based on statistical performance, though some “age relative to level” could come into play, so a very impressive season from a 28-year-old in AA will rank below a nearly as impressive season from a 20-year-old at the same level.

After we review each organization’s hitter and pitcher of the year, we will close out October with Call To The Pen’s Minor League team of the year. That will lead into November starting our team top 10 prospect lists. In other words, there will be plenty of minor league content on the way at CTTP, so keep coming back for more each day this offseason!!

San Diego Padres minor leagues

When the San Diego Padres chose to go into a rebuild mode after the 2015 season, they went in with both feet, to say the least. The Padres tore down their team, bringing in a host of prospects and then went in heavy into the international market in a way unmatched by any team previous in the depth of international class on top of quality.

The team has been building onto that jump start ever since, and with the Atlanta Braves graduating a few players in 2018 to the major leagues, the Padres have now moved into the position as the top farm system in all of baseball as the 2018/2019 offseason begins.

Before we offer up awards on the season, let’s take a look at the system’s statistical leaders:

Organization Leaders (min. 150 PA, 50 IP)

BA: Tucupita Marcano .366
OBP: Xavier Edwards .453
SLG: Franmil Reyes .614
OPS: Franmil Reyes 1.042
R: Ty France 84
H: Josh Naylor 149
2B: Luis Torrens 36
3B: Edward Oliveras and Agustin Ruiz 10
HR: Ty France and Austin Allen 22
RBI: Ty France 96
SB: Buddy Reed 51
TB: Ty France 236

W: Logan Allen 14
G: Rowan Wick 49
GS: Cal Quantrill 28
IP: Jerry Keel and Logan Allen 148 2/3
SV: Travis Radke 16
K: Logan Allen 151
ERA: Osvaldo Hernandez 1.81
WHIP: Chris Paddack 0.82
K/9: Dauris Valdez 12.8
K/BB: Chris Paddack 15.00

San Diego Padres Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Logan Allen

Level(s): AA San Antonio, AAA El Paso
Stats: 14-6, 25 G, 24 GS, 148 2/3 IP, 2.54 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 51/151 BB/K

Acquired as part of the deal that sent Craig Kimbrel from San Diego to Boston, Logan Allen has responded very well to the San Diego Padres development. For the second season, he jumped two levels, posted a sub-3 ERA, and struck out better than a batter per inning.

Allen’s raw stuff isn’t going to project as a frontline starter, but the way he has learned to sequence and attack hitters with his low-90s fastball, and a curve and change that sit above-average and can both hold plus for multi-game stretches. That ability to play out beyond his raw stuff could allow Allen to sit comfortably in the middle of a rotation.

Only working 5 starts in AAA in 2018, Allen will likely get a look at the 2019 rotation in spring, but most likely he’ll spend some time in AAA before getting a call during the 2019 season to the rotation.

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Runners-up

One of multiple players from Cuba that the San Diego Padres targeted in the 2016-2017 signing period, Osvaldo Hernandez made a big impression in 2017 in his first season, but many glanced past due to his 5.02 combined ERA. Blessed with good feel for a collection of offspeed stuff, Hernandez saw his fastball velocity sit more consistently in the low-90s, touching 94-95 with tremendous movement in 2018. He spent the full season with low-A Fort Wayne, tossing 109 2/3 innings with a 1.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and a 27/94 BB/K ratio.

Brett Kennedy is a textbook back-end rotation profile with a low-90s fastball that he mixes with three offspeed pitches. His best pitch is a low-80s slider, and many have viewed the Fordham University product as a reliever. He went 10-0 in AAA in 2018 as a starter, tossing 89 1/3 innings, with a 2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 23/80 BB/K ratio. His time in the majors wasn’t as productive, with a 6.75 ERA over 6 starts before knee surgery ended his season.

Acquired from the Marlins in the 2016 season, Chris Paddack was highly regarded before he was injured and needed Tommy John surgery, missing all of the 2017 season. He returned for 90 innings in 2018 between high-A and AA, and he was absolutely incredible in his time on the mound with a 2.10 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 8/120 BB/K ratio. Paddack will likely open 2019 at AA and build up to AAA.

One of the big movers on prospect lists this season was 18-year-old Luis Patino, who put together a very impressive season with low-A Fort Wayne, making 17 starts, tossing 83 1/3 innings, with a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 24/98 BB/K ratio. Patino has an incredible 4-pitch mix that can easily sit in the mid-90s with a peak in the 97-98 range. He’ll work on pitching a full season in 2019.

The San Diego Padres have the unquestioned top farm system in the entire game, so it should be fun for fans to follow the performances of those prospects over the 2019 season!