San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SOME NOTABLES ON MOVE IN FARM SYSTEM
With last week's trades emptying nearly a dozen prospects from the Padres' farm system, there's been quite a bit of movement up and down the affiliates to fill rosters.
Here's a look at some notables who've been on the move since last week's trade deadline:
OF Samuel Zavala
Signed for $1.2 million in January 2021 as one of the best pure hitters of his class, Zavala hit the ground running last summer, hitting .297/.400/.487 with three homers, 40 RBIS and 11 steals in 55 games in the Dominican Summer League. Zavala was slowed by a leg injury early this summer, but was hitting .345/.412/.621 with one homer in 10 games in the rookie-level Arizona League before he was jumped to low Single-a Lake Elsinore, not long after his 18th birthday. There, Zavala, a potential five-tool prospect who could stick in center, is hitting .242/.359/.394 with one homer and six RBIS in nine games with the Storm. Zavala is ranked No. 6 in the Padres system by Mlb.com.
LHP Jay Groome
The prospect received in the Eric Hosmer dump, the 23-year-old struck out five and allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks in 42⁄3 innings in his Triple-a El Paso debut. He is 4-5 with a 3.61 ERA, 101 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP in 97 innings this year, most of them in Double-a (3.52 ERA). Groome, Boston's first-round pick in 2016, is ranked No. 11 in the system by Mlb.com.
LHP Noel Vela
A 28th-round pick in 2017, Vela had struck out 101 in 87 innings (3.83 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) to start the year at High Single-a Fort Wayne. He had a rocky debut on Friday with Double-a San Antonio (41⁄3 IP, 6 ER), but has plenty of upside based on four-seamer that can push 95 mph at the top of the zone and a 1to-7 curve that some consider one of the best in the system. Vela is ranked No. 24 in the system by Mlb.com.
RHP Angel Felipe
The 24-year-old leads the farm system with 11 saves and struck out three batters against one walk in earning the win with a scoreless inning in his debut with Triple-a El Paso on Friday. Felipe, who was in big-league camp, struck out 49 in 392⁄3 innings (3.18 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) to start the year in Double-a San Antonio.
1B Carlos Luis
The 22-year-old was hitting .319/ .390/.465 with six homers and 70 RBIS in 83 games to start the year at low Single-a Lake Elsinore, his second year in a row in the California League. He's hitting .278/.409/.333 with an RBI in seven games since moving to high Single-a Fort Wayne.
OF Albert Fabian
The 20-year-old began the year with three games in rookie ball before hitting .278/.362/.502 with 12 homers and 55 RBIS in 62 games at low Single-a Lake Elsinore. He's homered twice in eight games (.575 OPS) since moving up to high Single-a Fort Wayne.
Around the farm
El Paso (AAA): OF Taylor Kohlwey, 28, hit for the cycle on Tuesday and is hitting .314/.385/.514 with 10 homers and 68 RBIS in 90 games. He was selected in the 21st round out of Wisconsin-la Crosse in 2016.
San Antonio (AA): RHP Reggie Lawson (4-6, 5.63 ERA), the 71st overall pick in 2016, has retired. Lawson missed all of 2020 to Tommy John surgery and struggled with shoulder soreness upon his return. He'd struck out 55 against 50 walks in 621⁄3 innings in a third straight season in the Double-a Texas League.
Fort Wayne (A): LHP Jackson Wolf (3.96 ERA) struck out 10 over six innings of one-run ball in a nodecision on Friday. A fourth-round pick last year out of West Virginia, Wolf has a 120-to-37 strikeout-towalk ratio over 100 innings to start the year.
Lake Elsinore (A): Top prospect Jackson Merrill, a shortstop, is hitting .340/.400/.450 with one homer, 12 RBIS and five steals in 23 games with the Storm.
ACL Padres (R): The owner of a .642 OPS as a hitter, RHP Justin Lopez has struck out eight batters against one walk in five innings (1.80 ERA) since moving to the mound. He originally signed for $1.2 million.
DSL Padres (R): OF Oliver Carrillo, 20, leads the team with eight homers and is hitting .323/.450/.698 with 27 RBIS in 30 games.