A young, physically imposing left-handed pitcher could be available for the Padres at No. 21. His velocity surge makes him an intriguing, immediate farm system boost.
The San Diego Padres’ farm system ranks dead last in the MLB, but they’ll have a chance this summer to add some prospects that could flip the narrative. In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft heading into the 2026 season, the Padres were mocked to select left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt with their first pick.
Schmidt is just 17 years old and is set to graduate early after reclassifying, meaning he will still be 17 at the time of this year’s draft in mid-July. Despite his age, Schmidt is one of the most intriguing pitchers at the top of the draft board this year.
Standing at six feet four inches and weighing 215 pounds, Schmidt’s size has MLB scouts drooling at his potential. His size, along with the fact that he’s a southpaw, has Schmidt as the sixth pitcher off the board in Bleacher Report’s mock draft.
Schmidt is committed to pitch at LSU next year, but his rising draft stock will likely stop that from happening. Last summer was a big reason for Schmidt’s rise in stock after adding some ticks to his velocity. His fastball previously sat around 93 mph, but got it up to the 94-97 mph range at the Area Code Games last summer. With an already ideal frame, an increase in velocity has boosted the teenager to the top of draft boards.
Along with his fastball, Schmidt has an upper 70s-lower 80s slider that causes a lot of swings and misses and flashes real potential. His third pitch is a changeup that fools batters with the change in velocity. As his fastball continues to reach the upper 90s, his changeup will only get more potent.
The Padres are selecting at No. 21 in this year’s draft, and with the depth of young pitchers in the draft, Schmidt has a real possibility of being on the board at San Diego’s pick. If he does fall to them, it’d be hard for the Padres to pass on the Southern California lefty.
Drafting a player like Schmidt is enough to get excited about, but Padres fans have learned not to get their hopes up. San Diego has traded away most of their top prospects in favor of MLB-ready talent, leaving their farm system barren. With just one top 100 prospect in baseball, Schmidt would immediately become one of the most coveted prospects in the organization. Ideally, the front office would keep him long enough to see him actually play in a Padres uniform.