San Diego Padres Prospect CJ Abrams Could Make Impact in 2022

He is not a household name with the Friar Faithful. The odds are high that he may never be. After all, he is still a prospect. But CJ Abrams figures to garner a great deal of attention this offseason as he could make an impact on the San Diego Padres lineup in 2022.

CJ Abrams is The Real Deal

In professional sports today, the media and team talent evaluators over-hype prospects. But from all accounts, Abrams is the real deal. He has drawn praise for being a complete player. Scouts love his glovework at the shortstop position and consider him to be the organization’s best pure hitter.

The lone drawback to Abrams’ progression has been his lack of experience (76 games) at the minor league level. He missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic canceling all minor league play. The Padres expected Abrams to excel in Double-A this past season. Unfortunately, he fractured his left tibia and suffered an MCL injury that ended his 2021 minor league campaign. The good news is Abrams should make a full recovery with no carryover to next season.

San Diego Padres Sent Abrams to AFL to Showcase His Talents

Many in the baseball world were surprised when the Padres announced Abrams was heading to play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). It was an opportunity for the organization to evaluate him and determine the time needed before the youngster makes his expected major league debut.

However, Abrams severely bruised his left shoulder in an offseason instructional league game. The injury could not have come at the worst time.

At the very least, he was supposed to give the Friars a preview of his skill level. The hope was it would give the organization something to think about before engaging in trade talks this winter.

Abrams is losing valuable time to showcase his talents. He has yet to appear in an AFL game. But there is still hope for him to play before the season concludes.

San Diego Padres Value CJ Abrams as Their Top Prospect

No question, the Padres value Abrams’ aptitude for the game.

When healthy, Abrams has shown to be an ideal leadoff hitter who scouts believe is a “rally starter” once he gets on base. He will become a distraction to the pitcher because of his great base-stealing (13-15 in stolen base attempts) instincts. No question, Abrams is fun to watch after he takes his initial lead off first base.

In 42 games for San Antonio, he batted .296/.363 OBP/.782 OPS with three home runs, 12 doubles and eight triples. The ball jumps off his bat, but it is void of any power potential. Abrams has shown an outstanding eye at the plate. He struck out 36 times with 15 walks in 183 plate appearances last summer. Abrams controls the strike zone by recognizing which pitches to take and which to drive for base hits. Usually, this is the final test for a prospect before they head to the majors.

It will be curious to see if Abrams remains a shortstop. Fernando Tatis Jr. is his roadblock. The San Diego Padres have begun the process of teaching their star prospect a new position. He played at second base and in the outfield before his injury. Abrams is not a finished product in the transitional process. He has more work to be done. But it will be interesting to see what starting position Abrams is playing next Opening Day.

The Padres long-range plan for their star pupil is to start him at the Triple-A level. He would only be called up out of necessity. However, elite prospects can accelerate their timetable to the majors. Abrams could make some noise with his bat in El Paso that forces the organization to bring him to San Diego.

The time is now for CJ Abrams to show his worth.