WHERE PROSPECTS START OUT SEASON

The Padres’ top prospect, C.J. Abrams, made his MLB debut on Friday. As for the rest of the system, the Padres’ four fullseason affiliates all began play this week.

Here’s a look at where their top 30 prospects, as ranked by Mlb.com, are to start the 2022 season:

Triple-a El Paso

Left-hander Mackenzie Gore (4) piled up 16 strikeouts against three walks over 12 innings this spring in his push for a spot on the big-league roster. Optioned to the Chihuahuas, the 23year-old Gore, with a fastball again touching 99 mph, is looking for a rebound in the Pacific Coast League, where he posted a 5.85 ERA over six starts in 2021 before he was pulled from competition to reset his mechanics. … Blocked in the majors, catcher Luis Campusano (3) is also back in the PCL after pairing 15 homers with a .906 OPS last year at El Paso. … Infielder Eguy Rosario (7) hit a career-high 12 homers last year in Double-a, while infielder Matt Batten (30) is back for his third tour with El Paso after posting a .750 OPS last year. … RHP Reiss Knehr (8) is looking to regain momentum after striking out as many as he walked while posting a 4.97 ERA over 29 innings last year in the majors. … LHP Ray Kerr (29), acquired in the Adam Frazier trade, has arguably one of the best left-handed fastballs in the minors but didn’t quite heat up in his push for a spot in the big-league bullpen in camp. … RHP Reggie Lawson (20), slowed by a shoulder injury during last year’s Tommy John comeback, is on the injured list to start the year.

Double-a San Antonio

RHP Kevin Kopps (17) struck out five over three scoreless innings in bigleague camp and wasn’t sent to the minors until the end of spring training. … Acquired from the Brewers for Victor Caratini, OF Korry Howell (16) paired 16 homers, 51 RBIS and 24 steals with an .805 OPS in 97 games between high Single-a Wisconsin and Double-a Biloxi in 2021. … LHP Efrain Contreras (24), added to the 40man roster this offseason, will begin his comeback from Tommy John surgery in the Texas League. … OF Agustin Ruiz (28) hit 21 homers last year and homered in San Antonio’s opener on Friday. … OF Tirso Ornelas (27) led High-a Central with 31 doubles last year and posted an .869 OPS in the Mexican Winter League.

High Single-a Fort Wayne

Both OF Robert Hassell III (2) and catcher Brandon Valenzuela (21) are back in the Midwest League after finishing 2021 with the Tincaps. Hassell, the Padres’ first-rounder in 2020, slugged .507 over the final two months of 2021, his first full professional season. The switch-hitting Valenzuela, meantime, hit .299/.393/.429 over 97 games between Lake Elsinore and Fort Wayne. … OF Joshua Mears (10), with potential 80-grade power, managed 17 homers in 2021 at Lake Elsinore despite various injuries and ailments limiting him to 71 games. …

LHP Robert Gasser (9), a third-rounder out of Houston last year, managed a 14to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 innings after joining the system last summer.

Low single-a Lake Elsinore

The Padres’ first two picks from the 2021 draft, SS Jackson Merrill (6) and OF James Wood (5), are already off to strong starts in the California League, with Wood blasting two home runs on opening night and Merrill collecting two doubles. … Max Ferguson (18), a second baseman, also had a down year in 2021 at Tennessee as he lost weight while battling a sickness and fell to the Padres in the fifth round. He hit 12 homers but his batting average dropped to .253 and his strikeouts surged.