San Diego Padres Daily Farm Report: April 27

Sacramento River Cats 7, Chihuahuas 2

Key Stats: 1B Trenton Brooks 2-for-4, 2B; RF Yonathan Perlaza 1-for-5, 2B; DH Luis Campusano 1-for-5; 2B Ripken Reyes 3-for-4, 2B, RBI; RHP Jared Kollar, 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K, 2 HR

Prospect Watch: El Paso right fielder Yonathan Perlaza‘s hitting streak reached a career-high 19 games thanks to a double in the top of the first inning that he smoked at 111 mph. Perlaza’s start to 2025 has flown a bit under the radar, but the 26-year-old’s .383 batting average and 15 doubles both lead the PCL. Perlaza’s batted ball data also continues to impress. He boasts an average exit velocity of  92.6 mph (92nd percentile) and a hard-hit rate of 52.9% that ranks in the 91st percentile. It’s not just loud contact; he’s maintaining a 91st-percentile in-zone contact rate of 76.9% that’s helped him to a 21.2% strikeout rate. He owns a 159 wRC+ and .462 wOBA on the year. … Trenton Brooks also remained hot at the plate as the University of Nevada alum went 2-for-4 with a double for El Paso’s only multi-hit game of the night. Twenty-four games into the season, Brooks owns a 1.024 OPS, 137 wRC+. The San Diego County native who signed as a minor league free agent this winter has a stellar 18-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio. … Ripken Reyes tallied three hits, including  a double off Sean Hjelle in the bottom of the eighth inning. The 27-year-old had gone hitless in his first seven at-bats after joining El Paso earlier in the week. None of the switch-hitter’s hits registered an exit velocity north of 90 mph. … Luis Campusano was held to one hit, but two of his five batted balls left the bat at over 100 mph. Campusano’s batted ball data remains excellent through 96 plate appearances. His 12.5% barrel rate,  109.6 90th% exit velocity, and 53.1% hard-hit rate all rank in the the top 9% of Triple-A hitters. … Despite allowing eight hits over four innings, Jared Kollar limited the damage during his Sunday start. Kollar leaned heavily on his cutter, throwing it at a 74% clip. His five-pitch arsenal generated just a 14% whiff rate. … Kevin Kopps worked a scoreless inning of relief, generating a 36% whiff rate. The former Arkansas Razorback has induced a fair share of soft contact in 14 innings, holding opposing hitters to a 2.7% barrel rate and an 85.5% average exit velocity. He owns a 2.51 ERA this season. 

Missions 5, Amarillo Sod Poodles 4

Key Stats: LHP Jagger Haynes 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, WP, HBP; RHP Manuel Castro 1.2 IP, 3 K; Francisco Acuña 1-for-3, RBI, SB (5);  Brandon Valenzuela 1-for-4, HR (2); 2B Anthony Vilar 1-for-4, HR (2)

Prospect Watch: Five different pitchers helped San Antonio put together a 5-4 victory over Amarillo in Sunday’s series finale. Jagger Haynes turned in five innings of quality ball on the bump, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five. Haynes didn’t have his usual swing-and-miss stuff, but still produced a 23% whiff rate. His fastball hit 96 and the slider continued to show excellent depth. While Haynes walked a pair and hit a batter, his command was better that it had been recently. He landed 59% of his pitches for strikes. … Manuel Castro earned his first save of the year in impressive fashion. He came on with the bases loaded and one out in the eight and got a strikeout and fly ball to escape without any damage then worked a perfect ninth with two more punchouts. His fastball only sits 93-94, but it’s remarkable carry has helped him strike out more than 50% of the batters he’s seen in San Antonio with a 19.2% swinging strike rate. The 22-year-old from Mexico’s secondaries have shown solid upside with his changeup flashing solid arm side run and his curveball’s good two-plane tilt. Castro owns a 0.84 ERA and 0.38 WHIP in 10 2/3 innings. … After a 1-for-4 day, Francisco Acuña has notched at least one hit in seven of his last eight games. Acuña has been the hottest hitter in the Texas League since April 16 with a 270 wRC+, .586 wOBA, and .409 batting average. … Brandon Valenzuela has continued to see the ball better over the last week-plus. That hot streak rolled on Sunday as he went 1-for-4 with a home run. In his last eight games he owns a wRC+ north of 140 and an .883 OPS. Valenzuela has maintained his plate discipline even as he got off to a slow start, as he owns a 12.3% walk rate. Anthony Vilar joined Valenzuela in playing long ball, swatting his second home run of the season. … Wyatt Hoffman went 1-for-4 in the win, coming through with a key two-run single in the top of the second inning.

Roster Moves: The Padres selected the contract of Missions reliever David Morgan, who has struck out 50% of the batters he has faced while posting a 3.12 ERA in 8.2 innings. Morgan struck out at least two batters in each of his seven appearances for San Antonio. He will wear number 66 for the Padres. After being absent from the Missions lineup since April 17, due to lower back tightness, Ethan Salas was placed on the 7-Day IL Saturday night. Jack Mathey was activated from the Development List to give San Antonio more catching depth.

TinCaps 5, Lansing Lugnuts 4

Key Stats: RF Braedon Karpathios 1-for-4, HR (3); 2B Brandon Butterworth 2-for-4, HR (1); SS Leo De Vries 0-for-4, BB, E (6); RHP Eric Yost 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 K, 2 BB; RHP Garrett Hawkins 2 IP, 2 K

Prospect Watch: Brandon Butterworth started the party early, homering on the afternoon’s first pitch. The North Carolina State alum reached base three times in all, thanks to a single in the third and a walk in the seventh. In addition to the solid start at the plate, Butterworth has contributed defensively. Splitting time at both middle infield spots, his hands are soft and reliable and his plus speed and athleticism allow him to make consistent plays off-platform. … Braedon Karpathios connected on his third home run, driving a 94 mph 3-2 fastball over the wall in left-center. Despite playing in the cool air of the Midwest League, Karpathios has flashed his above-average power with a .471 slugging percentage and an .825 OPS. Two of his three home runs this year have gone to the opposite field. … The night’s biggest hit belonged to Nerwilian Cedeño, who sent a towering game-winning two-run home run over Lart Street. The two-run round-tripper capped not only the TinCaps victory, but Cedeño’s 2-for-4 day. … While Leo De Vries went hitless on Sunday, he still managed to reach base via a walk. De Vries has begun to walk more recently, drawing his third free past in his last six games. Despite being the youngest player in High-A, De Vries still ranks in the top on the circuit in wRC+, OPS, Slug%, and wOBA. … Out of the bullpen, Garrett Hawkins dominated the final two innings to earning the win. Hawkins allowed no runs and no hits while punching out two and earning a 30% whiff rate. Hawkins’s fastball flashed good ride while sitting 94-95 and he once again touched 98 in the outing. Hawkins, who was a starter before Tommy John Surgery that cost him all off 2024, continues to flash upside out of the bullpen. In 12 innings pitched, Hawkins owns a 30.1% strikeout rate. Perhaps most impressive Sunday was his command. The right-hander did not allow a walk and threw 73.9% of his pitches for strikes.

Visalia Rawhide 9, Storm 7 

Key Stats: CF Kasen Wells 2-for-5, BB, 3 R; Lamar King Jr. 1-for-2, 3 BB; LF Alex McCoy 2-for-5; RHP Will Varmette 0.2 IP, 0 H, 4 ER, 2 K, 4 BB; LHP Luis Gutierrez 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, HR; Vicarte Domingo 2.2 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 K, BB; RHP Adam Conrad 2.1 IP, 2 K

Prospect Watch: Despite bringing the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, Lake Elsinore fell in the series finale to Visalia 9-7. Lamar King Jr. remained especially patient at the dish Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a two-run single and drawing three walks. It’s an encouraging sign for King, who has been noticeably more selective in the past week. In his last seven games, he has a 20.8% walk rate while striking out only twice. King has hit the ball hard consistently in April, yielding an .825 OPS and 117 wRC+. … Alex McCoy continued his hot streak Sunday, as the 6-foot-6 left fielder went 2-for-5 for his third straight multi-hit game. … Kavares Tears, the only man in Lake Elsinore who might be able to squat or bench press more than McCoy, went 1-for-5 in the loss. His lone knock was an RBI single in the the first inning. … Kasen Wells, who tormented Visalia all series, decided to do it once more as a going-away present. He went 2-for-5 with a walk and three runs scored. Wells collected 12 hits in 25 at-bats with five multi-hit games and five stolen bases in the series, good for a cool .480 average. … Despite allowing a run in his 2.2 innings, Vicarte Domingo flashed out of the bullpen once again for Lake Elsinore. En route to punching out four batters, Domingo generated nine whiffs, good for a 40.9% whiff rate. His fastball, which usually sits 93-95, showcased excellent ride. Domingo also fooled hitters with his Wiffle ball-like changeup that shows impressive late arm-side run. While last year’s 19th-rounder has an ERA of 5.79, but he also owns a 36.9% strikeout rate. There is still much to iron out, including a walk rate well above 20%, but yesterday’s outing was a step in the right direction.