MLB: 5 can’t-miss prospects ready to debut in 2021
By Nick Stevens
MLB prospects: Padres have more young talent ready
It’s truly remarkable what San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has been able to do this offseason, adding top pitching talents in Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to San Diego’s rotation, while also adding a high-upside arm in Joe Musgrove and last year’s top Korea Baseball Organization talent in Ha-Seong Kim.
Through a series of 2020 trades and high-profile trades this offseason, the Padres were able to keep the vast majority of their Top 10 prospects, including LHP MacKenzie Gore, who is viewed as one of the top pitching talents in the minor leagues.
The Padres won’t be as inclined to move him up to the majors early in 2021 with their recent additions, but there are questions about the health of Dinelson Lamet and whether Chris Paddack can regain his rookie form, when he burst onto the scene in 2019 before a downer year last season.
There have been some whispers of concern surrounding Gore and his stuff, but the 21-year-old North Carolina native has blown his way through the minor leagues thus far. In his last full season back in 2019, Gore made 20 starts between High-A and Double-A, going 9-2 with a 1.69 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, a .164 average against, and 135 strikeouts across 101 innings.
Padres fans have been waiting patiently for their top prospect to finally make his MLB debut, avoiding trade after trade after trade during the process, and their patience should finally pay off in 2021 as MacKenzie Gore brings his deceptive delivery and swing-and-miss stuff to Petco Park sometime soon.