Rising infield star Jhoan De La Cruz poised for a massive 2026 breakout, ready to inject new life into the Padres' future.
With the current construction of the San Diego Padres roster, a focus on youth in the farm system is as important as ever. The Padres' core players include third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, both 33 years old and showing signs of their age.
In a few seasons, San Diego may need to address these infield positions as its stars continue to fall down the path of Father Time. Luckily for them, the Padres have several talented players within their organization who could make an impact at the major league level in the coming years.
One of them is shortstop and second baseman Jhoan De La Cruz, one of the Padres’ international signings earlier this year. In a recent Bleacher Report article by Joel Reuter, predicting each MLB team’s breakout prospect, De La Cruz earned the title for San Diego.
“The Padres have made multiple splashes on the international market in recent years, and De La Cruz is the latest high-profile addition to their first system after inking a $1 million bonus last January,” Reuter wrote. “His .477 on-base percentage and 23.2 percent walk rate speak to his advanced approach, and he has an all-fields approach with gap power.”
De La Cruz signed out of the San Pedro de Macorís region of the Dominican Republic, which has produced some very talented baseball players over the years, including current Padres star Fernando Tatís Jr. At 18 years old, the Padres are confident in De La Cruz’s ability to build on his mature approach at the plate and impressive defensive instincts.
He aligns perfectly with the timeline of the current infield in San Diego, as he won’t be ready for MLB action for at least a few seasons. His time should come just as Machado and Bogaerts are ready to wrap up their respective careers, providing the Padres with some new life in the infield.
In 51 games with the Padres Gold of the Dominican Summer League, De La Cruz posted a slash line of .259/.477/.360 with an .837 OPS. He also walked more times (46) than he struck out (45) and stole 11 bases in his first stint within the Padres’ organization.
Being one of three of MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospects to sign with San Diego, the Padres are prioritizing the future of their club. De La Cruz could prove to be the best of them all, and a breakout first full season in the organization could be in store in 2026.