Padres Prospect Leads Lake Elsinore To Cal League Title

The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a successful playoff run, and one of their prospects was also lauded for his postseason success, as outfielder Orey Lott had a stellar postseason for Low-A Lake Elsinore, according to a story by Ian Cundall of Baseball America. 

Specifically, Cundall’s story named the top 15 prospect performances from the 2026 MiLB postseason, and Lott turned up at No. 9 on his list. He’s not a name most Padres fans would recognize, so let’s go there with some additional information and background. 

Lott was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 15th round back in 2023, but he chose college ball instead and wound up playing at Northwest Florida State Junior College for two years. He signed with the Padres as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 draft, and the outfielder made his professional debut with Lake Elsinore this season. 

He played well enough to put himself on the radar,  posting a  slash line of .272/.385/.420 with eight home runs and 27 steals in 95 games. The 6-foot-3 outfielder is athletic with plus speed, and Lott’s exit velocities were above average. He still has some work to do on his frame, and Lott is considered raw at the plate and is still working on his approach. 

But that didn’t stop the outfielder from showing out in the postseason. The 21-year old prospect had a slash line of .444/.524/.944 as he went 8-for-18 during Lake Elsinore’s run to the California League Championship. He also had five RBIs and scored seven runs, and his array of hits included two doubles, a triple, a homer. 

Lott led all minor league players in total bases for the postseason, with all of his damage coming in three games of the best-of-five series against the San Jose Giants. The outfielder had one two-hit game with a home run, a three-hit game with a triple, and another three-hit game with two doubles and a triple. 

Lott still has a steep climb to make his mark in the Padres system, as he’s not currently ranked among the Top 30 in San Diego’s system. But he has marked himself as an under-the-radar name to watch next year, per Cundall,  if he can continue to progress over the offseason, and there may be opportunities that don't exist right now with San Diego’s new ownership group currently getting settled in. The Padres are going with veteran outfielders at the moment, but there's always the opportunity to be part of that next trade by GM A.J. Preller, too.