The Padres are a unique team, given their current core was largely constructed through free agency and trades. However, that’s largely a byproduct by how aggressive their front office has been over the last decade. San Diego’s MLB Draft success during that time has been strong. In fact, their work in the draft helped net the Padres pieces to acquire big names, plus one of the best rookies in 2024. Here’s a look at the Padres’ best and worst MLB Draft picks from the last 10 years.
Best Padres Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trea Turner | SS | 2014 | 1 | 36.3 |
| Ty France | INF | 2015 | 34 | 8.2 |
| Cal Quantrill | P | 2016 | 1 | 8.3 |
| Eric Lauer | P | 2016 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Joey Lucchesi | P | 2016 | 4 | 4.0 |
| David Bednar | P | 2016 | 35 | 4.8 |
| MacKenzie Gore | P | 2017 | 1 | 3.1 |
| Xavier Edwards | SS | 2018 | 1 | 2.1 |
| CJ Abrams | SS | 2019 | 1 | 6.8 |
| Jackson Merrill | SS/OF | 2021 | 1 | 4.4 |
Arguably the best Padres draft pick over the last decade was a shortstop who never played a game in San Diego: Trea Turner.
Turner was drafted 13th overall by the Padres in 2014 after a standout career at NC State. But months later, the Padres, Rays, and Nationals completed a massive three-team deal that saw Joe Ross head to D.C., Steven Souza Jr. to the Rays, and former Rookie of the Year Wil Myers to the Padres. A player to be named later, believed at the time to be Turner, was also included.
In June 2015, Turner was sent to the Nationals to complete the trade. Per MLB rules at the time, drafted players couldn’t be dealt until one calendar year after selection. A decade later, Turner developed into a batting champion, three-time All-Star, and 2019 World Series champion.
Turner was one of several Padres first-round picks who developed into a regular. From 2014-21, seven of San Diego’s 11 first-rounders saw regular time in 2024.
CJ Abrams was a NL All-Star in 2024. Pitchers Cal Quantrill and MacKenzie Gore each accrued more than 140 innings that season. Xavier Edwards took a bit to develop after San Diego picked him 38th overall in 2018. He hit .328/.397/.423 (.820 OPS) with 31 stolen bases for Miami in 2024.
Most recently, the Padres took a pair of Maryland kids who’ve turned into incredible young outfielders. San Diego picked shortstop Jackson Merrill with the 27th overall pick in 2021 and gave him the second-lowest signing bonus ($1.8M) among first-round picks.
Merrill wasn’t a big name on the 2020 summer showcase circuit but impressed in 2021. Three years later, Merrill hit 24 home runs and became one of the Padres’ most valuable players during their 2024 season.
James Wood, meanwhile, was picked out of the IMG Academy a round after Merrill. He’s not on this list yet but he’ll likely be here soon. Wood, a unique prospect at 6’7” with plus raw power and speed, posted a .781 OPS for the Nationals as a rookie in 2024. Washington acquired Wood in the Juan Soto trade.
Worst Padres Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Gettys | OF | 2014 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Austin Smith | P | 2015 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Hudson Potts | SS | 2016 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
| Michael Reed | OF | 2016 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Reggie Lawson | P | 2016 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Joshua Mears | OF | 2019 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Hudson Head | OF | 2019 | 3 | Never played in MLB |
Dating back to his time with the Rangers, AJ Preller’s loved high-upside high schoolers. That mantra has held true since he’s run the Padres. However, some of their picks — much like other MLB teams — haven’t worked out.
Michael Gettys was a toolsy outfielder selected by the Padres in 2014. However, Gettys had major strikeout issues, despite showing off pop and speed. Gettys struck out over 160 times in four seasons, including 191 over 116 games in 2017. The former Padre farmhand capped out at Triple-A.
The Padres’ top pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Austin Smith, struggled with command after coming out of high school. Smith last pitched in affiliated baseball in 2021. San Diego, though, was able to salvage that draft with the selection of Ty France, plus Trevor Megill (7th) and Phil Maton (20th).
The 2016 MLB Draft, as seen in the previous section, was relatively successful for San Diego. However, the Padres didn’t hit on several seven-figure bonus babies.
Michael (Buddy) Reed, a former Florida Gator standout, didn’t hit for much power and largely struggled in Triple-A. Hudson Potts, a surprise first-round pick in 2016, had strikeout problems similar to Gettys. Ronnie Lawson didn’t pitch above Double-A and owned a career ERA of 5.42 and BB/9 of 5.1.
The most notable draft pick of this list above is Hudson Head, a first-round talent who fell to the Padres in the third round. San Diego had money to play with, as the Padres saved money with Joshua Mears (2nd, $1M bonus) and Logan Driscoll (2nd, $600,000). The Padres gave Head $3M as the 84th pick.
Five years later, Head’s yet to to make to Double-A. Now with the Pirates, Head hit .208/.303/.383 with 13 home runs and 31 extra-base hits over 102 games with Greensboro (A+).
Draft picks who did not sign are included in these lists. bWAR figures as of October 2024. Make sure to check out how other NL West teams, including the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, have done in the MLB Draft recently.