A blazing fastball and elite changeup propel this young reliever, already tasted MLB action, to the top of the Padres' prospect heap.
The San Diego Padres haven’t had the busiest offseason thus far, with their major moves being bringing back starting pitcher Michael King and signing Korean infielder Sung Mun Song. With a general manager like A.J. Preller, however, you’d be smart to expect some more shakeup coming.
While the front office focuses on bringing in new talent in hopes of building another 90+-win roster, some of the club’s top prospects could step up in 2026 to fill some holes on the major league roster. In a recent article from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, relief pitcher Bradgley Rodriguez was labeled as the Friars' most MLB-ready prospect.
“The Padres have gutted their farm system over the last two years, and much of their remaining top prospect talent is in the lower levels of the minors,” Reuter wrote. “With a fastball that has touched 101 mph and an elite changeup, Rodríguez has a 3.52 ERA and 10.3 K/9 in 88 appearances in the minors.”
Rodriguez signed with the Padres in January of 2021 out of Venezuela. Since then, he’s made 88 appearances on the mound within the Padres system, 85 of which came in relief. The 22-year-old has been consistently good in the minors over the past couple of seasons, working his way from Single-A to Triple-A.
He even impressed enough to earn an MLB call-up in 2025, where he pitched 7 ⅔ innings across seven games. He allowed just one run and struck out nine batters in his first MLB stint. If his first taste of MLB action was an indication of what’s to come, the Padres should have a reliable young flamethrower in their bullpen next season.
Though there’s been talk of a potential move to the starting rotation for Rodriguez, his high velocity approach has worked perfectly in relief. At just 22 years old, it might be wise for San Diego to continue developing Rodriguez where he’s been his best, despite the questionable depth in the starting rotation at the major league level.
Currently ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the organization by MLB.com, Rodriguez has already proven his MLB-ready status. Padres fans will be hoping he can continue his excellence on the biggest stage in 2026 and beyond.