With injuries piling up, the Padres will lean on their Minor League pitching depth. Former second-round pick Adam Mazur, rated as the Padres’ fifth-best prospect per MLB.com, will make his MLB debut on June 4 for San Diego. The promotion will give Mazur, who had success at almost every Minor League level, his first crack at Major League hitting.
A Look at Mazur
The Iowa Hawkeyes have turned into a pitching factory in recent years. Not only will Iowa likely produce a day-one pick in Brody Brecht come July but the Big 10 school was also host to the rise of new Padres pitcher Adam Mazur.
Mazur, a second-round pick in 2022, was a strikeout machine at South Dakota State but rose to prominence two years ago in Iowa. The 23-year-old struck out 98 over 93.2 IP, limited the walks with the Hawkeyes, and continued that success in the Minors.
The Padres pitching prospect struck out 90 over 96 innings last season between Fort Wayne (A+) and San Antonio (AA) and posted a sub-two walk rate. Mazur returned to San Antonio this past year and dominated (1.95 ERA, 32 K, and five BB over 32.1 IP) before a promotion to Triple-A. Mazur’s home run rate (1.9 HR/9) soared in the hitter-friendly PCL but he still managed to put him good strikeout (18 over 19 IP) numbers.
Mazur can pump his four-seam (14.3” of IVB in Triple-A) up to the mid-90s — a pitch he leaned on heavily in Triple-A — and pair it with a slider (originally marked as cutter by Statcast) that netted whiffs in the Minors and a changeup (marked as a sinker on Statcast), both of which sat in the 85-89 MPH range in Triple-A. Additionally, he’ll work in a curveball that sits in the high 70s.
Mazur also has a slider that’s received strong grades. It’s a pitch he didn’t lean on much this past season, but it’s a pitch with good movement and one he used successfully last season.
Adam Mazur will make his MLB debut on June 4 for the Padres, as he’s scheduled to start against the Angels.
Analysis
The Padres need starting pitching, as Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish recently hit the IL. Those injuries paved the way for Mazur, who didn’t put up exceptional numbers in Triple-A but realistically, it’s not a league built for pitchers.
The good news for San Diego fans, though, is that his stuff looked polished down the Minors, as he did a good job of finishing his four-seamer and keeping it up, all while using his secondary offerings to work hitters.
Fantasy Outlook
Mazur’s present fantasy value is tough to gauge at the moment. One, Mazur doesn’t have a power pitcher profile. Even though he does have a good four-seamer and fastball, he wasn’t a premier strikeout pitcher in the Minors, as he often leaned on his changeup and cutter to change speeds and jam hitters.
Second, Mazur will need to pitch to stick in the rotation, given San Diego’s injuries. Still, his low walk rate, ability to command well, and his presence on a good Padres team, make him an intriguing pitcher to watch.