Overview
Coming off a 65-72 season last year, the 2026 Missions will look to rebound with two of the Padres’ top four prospects. Fresh off being named to the All-Spring Breakout Team, Ethan Salas will look to both lead the offense and guide the pitching staff. Miguel Mendez will front a deep rotation.
Three Strikes with Mike Daly, the Padres Assistant Director of Player Development:
Ethan Salas is the top prospect in the Padres system, but he only hit .206 in Fort Wayne in 2024 and struggled in a very limited 10-game run in Double-A before a back injury last year. Why does the organization believe it is better to start him in San Antonio than send him back to Fort Wayne to get his offense settled?
Mike Daly: I understand the question. It was really fun watching him in that Spring Breakout game, but as you know, it is one game. We feel that Ethan is ready to go back to San Antonio.
In 2024, I saw him more than anyone [as the manager of the Fort Wayne TinCaps]. He was never over-matched at that level. He understands the strike zone, and defensively, he is at a very high level. He did hit .206, but he was not being dominated.
Do you think the physical development he’s had since he was with you in Fort Wayne will translate into better production because of the good decision-making you saw when he was still only 17 and 18 years old?
Mike Daly: He spent a lot of time working on his swing this past year. Good hitters understand balls and strikes, and Ethan’s track record, even in 2024, shows he understands the strike zone.
He has put in a lot of work, including collaborating with Scott Coolbaugh, Johnny Edwards, Mike McCoy, and many others, and has made significant improvements to his swing. It has been very good not only in the breakout game but throughout spring. He’s in a good spot in understanding his swing and his objectives when he is in the box. He can control the strike zone, and we feel really good about his ability to go out to Double-A. He’s in a much better physical spot, and he spent the year in rehab, working on his body and range of motion. For a guy that didn’t really play last year to go out and have the type of at-bats he did this spring is really encouraging.
Both Miguel Mendez and Jagger Haynes have looked impressive through the spring. What is the biggest improvement that you hope to see from each?
Mike Daly – I really liked Jagger’s performance the other day; it was exactly what we would like to see. Mendez was impressive last year, rolling through [Lake] Elsinore, Fort Wayne, and finishing at San Antonio. I’m not sure if we would have predicted that last season.
As both continue to mature – and it’s fun with both of these guys – the best [prospects] take ownership of their careers and can start to smell it. They build on their experiences both in the season and in their offseasons. There is an edge, and you can continue to see their growth. They become comfortable in the major league clubhouse. This year, Jagger was thrown out there for our spring opener in his first big league camp and competed. When these guys go back to San Antonio, they will know that they are capable of pitching at the major league level. They have done the work; they continue to refine their craft, control the run game, and do what major league pitchers are required to do.
They have taken ownership of their careers, and they know if they perform, they will be in the big leagues.
Ethan Salas cruises around third in a big league spring training game. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Catch a Rising Star
When the Padres signed Ethan Salas, he quickly received aspirational comparisons to some of the greatest catchers of the 21st century, namely Joe Mauer and Buster Posey. Those comps were only amplified after his debut 2023 campaign, when, as a 17-year-old, he posted a .752 OPS on his way to finishing at Double-A.
His star has faded over the last two years. His production fell off to a .599 OPS in 2024, and he was hitting only .188/.219/.325 through 41 plate appearances when his season ended with a back stress reaction last year. Defensively, Salas has little left to prove. He is highly regarded both within the organization and throughout baseball for his ability to work with pitchers, block balls, and throw with a powerful arm. Salas’ stock remains propped up due to the high floor provided by his defense. His offense remains a major question.
Still 19 years old, Salas entered camp having gained 15 pounds of muscle and looks to have filled out his frame. He looked every bit of a top prospect at the Spring Breakout game, going 2-for-3 with a homer, walk and a stolen base. For good measure, he threw out two baserunners. While that’s just one game, he was hitting the ball hard in minor league camp and came on in the Padres’ final spring training game against the Mariners and hit a ball 105 mph off the bat against former Padre prospect Matt Brash then drew a bases-loaded walk.
On the Spot
Jagger Haynes showed good feel in his first big league spring training. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Some might have been surprised when the Padres did not add Jagger Haynes to the 40-man roster. The 2020 fifth-round pick has shown flashes of being a legitimate fourth or fifth MLB starter. However, the flashes are inconsistent. While all of his pitches can profile as average or better, none are elite enough to keep hitters in check when he misses with location. The key this year may be adding a two-seam fastball and throwing a curveball more often, which would give him a true five-pitch mix. If he can put it together this year, he’ll be in line for a big league opportunity. If he struggles again, the Padres will have to decide whether to act to keep him from leaving the organization by minor league free agency.
Under the Radar
A few weeks ago, only the most ardent Padres fans likely knew Romeo Sanabria‘s name. Then he hit .333/.385/.833 across 26 spring training plate appearances, including this majestic grand slam that capped off the final game.
Unlike most top prospects, Sanabria was not a big-name acquisition. The Miami native signed in the 18th round out of Indian River State College, the same school as former Padres’ first-round pick Cory Spangenberg. What he lacks in prospect pedigree, he makes up for in work ethic and pure hitting ability. Sanabria has a crisp line drive swing, peppering it to all fields. Despite ann off year at the plate in 2025, Sanabria still has a career .283 average and .370 OBP. Being in big-league camp for the first time, Sanabria worked with the Padres’ hitting coaches throughout spring training on getting back to basics, hitting the ball hard to all fields. As a first base-only prospect, he’ll need to get to his power frequently to get an opportunity at the big league level, but the 23-year-old has the underlying tools to get there.
Missions Roster Preview
Projected Lineup
1B Romeo Sanabria* OF Albert Fabian*
2B Carson Tucker CF Joshua Mears
3B Ryan Jackson OF Braedon Karpathios*
SS Francisco Acuña C Ethan Salas*
* left-handed hitter
RHSP Miguel Mendez RHRP Manuel Castro
LHSP Jagger Haynes LHRP Harry Gustin
RHSP Eric Yost RHRP Francis Peña
LHSP Luis Gutierrez RHRP Josh Mallitz
RHSP Victor Lizarraga RHRP Johan Moreno
RHSP Ian Koenig LHRP Ryan Och
Top 20 Prospects in San Antonio
Ethan Salas (#1), Miguel Mendez (#4), Jagger Haynes (#11), Braedon Karpathios (#15)
Miguel Mendez will return to San Antonio to open the 2026 season. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Starting Pitching: Miguel Mendez was the Padres’ breakout prospect of 2025 and was rewarded by being added to the 40-man. The righty spent the bulk of the season with Fort Wayne, where he went 7-3 with a 1.32 ERA and a strong 28.6% strikeout rate. Mendez runs his fastball up to 100 mph with developing secondary pitches. The development of his changeup and slider will be key to his 2026 season. … Lefty Jagger Haynes threw 103 innings with a 4.11 ERA in Double-A last year, his second season after missing most of his first three seasons after he was drafted. He can get his fastball into the mid-90s, but tends to sit a bit below that. Since he doesn’t blow hitters away, he has been developing a five-pitch mix to keep them off balance. The results in spring training were encouraging. … Eric Yost was one of the best pitchers in the Midwest League throughout the first half of last year, carrying a 2.73 ERA and a .236 batting average against into the all-star break. He did not fare as well in the second half, but finished the season with a career-high 113 strikeouts and a workhorse-like 124.2 innings. … Lefty Luis Gutierrez pitched at all four levels last year, finishing with a 3.31 ERA. He began to trust his changeup more last year, adding a critical pitch to pair with his sinker/slider combo. While he doesn’t put up big strikeout numbers, one of the key members of the Padres’ 2019 international free agent class induces a lot of weak contact. … Victor Lizarraga, a former Top 20 prospect, starts the season in San Antonio for the third straight year. The 22-year-old from San Ysidro will try to recreate his 2024 season with the Missions, when he struck out a career-high 102 batters in 96 innings. He’s never had the velocity bump many expected and his fastball continues to sit around 90 mph. … Ian Koenig should also log plenty of starts for the Missions. The 25-year-old undrafted free agent, now nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery, can move the ball to all quadrants of the strike zone effectively.
Bullpen: The Padres have made a habit of turning late round picks, undrafted free agents, and low-profile international signees into key bullpen contributors, and they have the chance to do so again with the Missions roster. … After signing as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Josh Mallitz recovered from a horrendous April to be one of the most effective relievers in the Padres’ system last year. From May onward, Mallitz allowed seven runs over 40 innings (1.23 ERA) while striking out 26.5% of batters against a stellar 5.6% walk rate. … Lefty Harry Gustin had his breakout year in 2025, posting a 1.88 ERA between Fort Wayne and San Antonio. His 1.11 WHIP, .195 BAA, and 28% strikeout rate were all career highs. … After spending all of 2025 in El Paso getting mixed results, Francis Peña returns to the Missions, where he posted a 2.05 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 29.2% K rate in a dominant 2024 campaign. After regularly hitting the upper-90s with his sinker in 2024, Peña saw both his velocity and command go backward last year. If he can re-find his whippy athleticism on the mound, he has the ability to be nearly untouchable and provide a huge payoff as a $10,000 sign out of the Dominican Republic. … Undersized righty Manuel Castro is the rare pitcher who had better success in the PCL than the friendly confines of Wolff Stadium last year. The 23-year-old is back in San Antonio to open the year and will likely work in the back half of games. … Minor league free agents Andrew Dahlquist, Michael Flynn, and Sadrac Franco all have interesting stuff, but have struggled with walks in the upper minors. … Cole Paplham’s 2025 started with getting hit in the face with a line drive in spring training, and the 6-foot-3 righty never recovered, walking more in 2025 than in the previous two seasons combined. He’s behind at the end of spring training this year because of elbow soreness – an issue he’s dealt with frequently since signing in 2022 – and won’t open the year in San Antonio. If he can shake off the rust, Paplham has an upper-90s fastball with movement and a plus slider.
Catching: Ethan Salas will log the bulk of innings, seeing time at DH when he isn’t behind the plate. Brendan Durfee will get most of the opportunities when Salas isn’t catching. Durfee was one of Fort Wayne’s best hitters in April, hitting .278/.350/.403 to finish the month leading the team in runs (13) and doubles (seven). The numbers for the rest of the season did not come close to matching those early-season results, but the left-handed hitter is a physical presence in the box. … Christopher Sargent signed out of indy ball late last year, will cover the duties as the club’s third backstop, freeing up Durfee to see some action at DH.
Infield: The Missions have one infielder locked into his spot, with a number of guys rotating around the other positions. Romeo Sanabria will look to continue putting on a show following his strong spring training. The big first baseman was hitting .329/.390/.493 two months into the season last year, Unfortunately, he began trying to pull the ball more to increase his home run total, and the result was the first multi-month slump of his career. With an offseason to get his head and swing back on track, he should be the anchor in the middle of the order. … The rest of the infield will be somewhat fungible. Francisco Acuña is an above-average defensive shortstop who got squeezed out of Triple-A by a group of minor league free agent signees with big league experience. He should split playing time at the keystone with the pride of USC, Ryan Jackson. Both could also see time at second base, while Jackson will also get innings at third base. … The Padres took a minor league free agent flyer on former first-round pick Carson Tucker. The Phoenix native struggled mightily as a professional and stalled out, getting released out of High-A in 2023. He returned to action in the independent Pioneer League last year, and will look to show the tools that earned him such a lofty draft pick. … Rosman Verdugo‘s older brother, Luis Verdugo, also signed a deal this offseason. Now 25 years old, the right-handed hitter is a defensive specialist who can play all three positions.
Braedon Karpathios will look to build on his power production in 2026. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Outfield: The outfield is pretty set to open the year. Joshua Mears returns from the voluntary retirement list to take the primary center field role. The 2019 second-round pick, known for hitting mammoth home runs and striking out, has reduced his K rate each of the last three years (from 43.9% to 37.0%, to 33.5%). Once he decided to return to the field, he worked in the offseason to get quicker to the ball to try for fewer strikeouts. … Braedon Karpathios had an extremely solid 2025 season, finishing with 15 home runs and a .770 OPS. Karpathios has seen considerable time at all outfield positions. He’s one of just three Top 20 Padres prospects in San Antonio to open the year. He’ll be looking to show more ability to turn on balls on the inner half while playing at a home ballpark that doesn’t reward left-handed power hitters. … Albert Fabian, limited to left field and DH, will look to build on a 2025 season that saw him return from a brutal leg injury that caused him to miss almost a full calendar year. The 24-year-old will need to slug his way to the next level. … Kai Murphy and Kai Roberts should also be given plenty of time in the outfield. After posting two straight .700+ OPS seasons, Murphy took a step back in 2025, but he will look to regain his form. Roberts, 25, missed over a month on the IL last year and struggled to maintain consistency at the plate, finishing with a .660 OPS. He did lead Fort Wayne with 35 steals.
