SAN DIEGO – The Padres have traded dozens of prospects in recent years as a way to augment their big league roster. Despite the deals, the organization has been successful in replenishing its roster through the draft and international free agency.
If they are going to succeed in the gambit yet again, a significant part of the weight will fall to lefty Kruz Schoolcraft, who was in San Diego this weekend to take in Petco Park.
“It’s been awesome,” said Schoolcraft during his media availability on Sunday. “It’s such a great opportunity being able to see everything.”
Kruz Schoolcraft made his professional debut for Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Robert Escalanate)
Schoolcraft, 18, was the Padres’ first-round pick in July’s draft, out of Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon. His talent on the mound is intriguing enough – a fastball that touches 98 mph, a biting changeup, and a slider – that he and the team quickly shelved his offensive game even though he also excelled as a power-hitting first baseman in high school.
While he’s just started his journey in professional baseball, experiencing Petco Park gives him a tangible ultimate goal.
“It’s awesome, I realized how great it is to be here. It’s a great experience and it really motivates me.”
While most pitchers that get drafted out of high school stay back in the desert throwing sparingly in the instructional league, the organization sent him to Lake Elsinore to make a start last Saturday. The results didn’t jump off the page as he allowed a pair of runs in 1.2 innings. However, he ran his fastball into the high-90s and struck out four before departing. The start was a bit of a full-circle experience.
“My dad and I did a road trip to California and hit the different minor league stadiums. I was probably like five. I’ve been to [Lake Elsinore] before and I’ve seen a couple of games. I was super grateful for [the experience] of starting a game; obviously now I am on the other side of that.”
Schoolcraft’s battery mate in his professional debut was 11th-rounder Truitt Madonna, another player who also played high school baseball this season, a fact that was not lost on the prized southpaw.
“Truitt was actually on my area code team about a year ago. He was supposed to catch my first start-up there, but he ended up being sick, so it was a cool experience for us. And I was grateful to have him there and go through that experience together, kind of feeling like we were the two underdogs, since the other guys are older than us. It was a pretty great experience.”
After taking in Sunday’s game in San Diego, Schoolcraft will head back to Arizona to participate in the Padres’ instructional league before returning home in November.
Kruz Schoolcraft in action during the Bridge League. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
“I think for me, the most important thing is that this is my first full off-season and knowing what’s going to make me good and what’s going to hold me back, so it’s understanding what’s going to come forward.”
Schoolcraft has already been working on getting stronger. Since being drafted, the 6-foot-8 lefty has added 20 pounds to his frame in a bid to add weight to a frame that still has some projection. Padres scouting director Chris Kemp thinks his potential is as great as any player the Padres have drafted in A.J. Preller’s tenure.
“You look at our history of the first rounders – getting here at 20 years old, 21 years old, whether it’s a Gore, Weathers, Abrams, or Morejon at 20 years old, this guy’s in that same level of talent, if not above that, in our view,” said Kemp. “So getting him around Mike Shildt, getting him around Petco, getting him around you guys, and getting ready because this could come really quick.”
“[What sets him apart is] his body frame, his strike throwing ability, his mind, his work ethic, the way he grew up training for this. He’s just [more] ahead of the curve than some of those guys, so we have high hopes that he could be here fairly quickly.”
