A towering 6-foot-8 southpaw emerges, poised to dominate the Padres' prospect pipeline by 2026, showcasing electrifying velocity and immense potential.
With the current financial situation the San Diego Padres are facing, including the possibility of the Seidler family selling the team, the future of the club is uncertain. With core players like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts both entering their mid-30s and experiencing a dip in production, the window seems to be closing in San Diego.
The Padres shipped out the No. 3 prospect, Leo De Vries, in baseball last season to acquire reliever Mason Miller at the trade deadline from the Athletics, making their emphasis on now clearer than ever. Even though reports are now claiming the Padres are suddenly open to trading away Miller this offseason, the commitment was already made in the summer.
With their top prospect gone, catcher Ethan Salas became the club’s new No. 1 guy. In a new article from Sam Dykstra from MLB.com, a new top prospect is predicted to headline the Padres' farm system by the end of 2026.
The predicted future top prospect is left-handed pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft was selected with the 25th pick in the 2025 draft by San Diego. A monster of a talent at 6-foot-8, the 18-year-old impressed scouts with his extension and fastball that reaches 97 mph.
Schoolcraft entered the draft as a two-way prospect, showing real promise as a power-hitting bat. It has been decided, however, that the southpaw will develop solely as a pitcher as his professional career gets started. He made one appearance for the Padres’ Single-A affiliate, the Lake Elsinore Storm, after July’s draft. In just 1 ⅔ innings, Schoolcraft showed his immense potential by striking out four batters.
It’ll be some time before Schoolcraft gets to the level where he could make a move to the majors, but the Padres provide a good situation for him. With their focus on playing winning baseball now and maximizing its core, San Diego won’t be rushing young talent like Schoolcraft. Instead, he’ll be dealing away in the minors for a few years, honing his talent on the mound.
With his raw talent and oozing potential, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he does indeed become the club’s top prospect by next season’s end.