Before any of the Padres affiliates got underway on Sunday, there top two prospects were on the field in Philadelphia as part of the MLB Futures Game. Ethan Salas reached base in both of his trips to the plate, but Kash Mayfield was charged with the loss as he gave up a run in his inning of work. We had a chance to catch up with Mayfield after his selection, and are making our interview with him available to everyone. If you like it, consider subscribing and getting access to all of our content.
Even before that, Chris Kemp, A.J. Preller and the Padres’ braintrust were at work on day two of the draft. The organization stayed conservative throughout the day, implying that their top two picks from Saturday will get the bulk of the club’s bonus pool.
Now, onto the action on the field.
Oklahoma City 8, Chihuahuas 0
Key Stats: RHP Sean Boyle (L, 7-6), 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 K; RHP Daison Acosta IP, 2 H; RHP Alek Jacob IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K; DH Freddy Fermin 1-for-4, 2 K; 2B Marcos Castañon 0-for-2, BB, K
Alek Jacob is working back in El Paso. (Photo: Deanna Almaguer)
Prospect Watch: It was a day to forget for El Paso, as they managed just two hits en route to being shutout 8-0 in their fourth straight loss to Oklahoma City. Sean Boyle got the start and was tagged for four runs on eight hits across a season-high six innings. Boyle’s sinker sat at 89.6 mph and saw around 16 inches of horizontal break. He induced a 22% whiff rate (10 whiffs on 45 swings). Over his past 31.2 innings, he sports a 4.26 ERA, 4.78 FIP and 25.4% strikeout rate. … Alek Jacob was touched up on Sunday, as the right-hander allowed four runs on four hits in just an inning, walking one with a strikeout. Three of the five batted balls logged against Jacob posted exit velocities north of 95 mph (hard hit). Despite being hit hard, Jacob still managed to tally seven whiffs and a 44% whiff rate. Since June 1, Jacob owns a 4.50 ERA with the Chihuahuas. … Freddy Fermin went 1-for-4 as he continued his rehab assignment with El Paso. His lone hit was a 78.4 mph single in the top of the fourth. His 98.7 mph fly out in the sixth was the hardest hit ball by anyone in the El Paso lineup on Sunday. Fermin also punched out twice and swung and missed a combined four times against Oklahoma City pitching.
Jake Cunningham has continued to hit at his new level. (Photo: Rey Holguin)
Missions 10, Midland RockHounds 9
Key Stats: RHP Ian Koenig 3 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, K; RHP Josh Mallitz IP, 2 ER, 2 H; RHP Francis Peña (S, 2) IP, K; CF Jake Cunningham 1-for-5, 3B, 3 RBI; DH Tirso Ornelas 3-for-3, 2 BB, R; RF Braedon Karpathios 1-for-5, SB (5), K; SS Francisco Acuña 2-for-5, 2 R
Prospect Watch: San Antonio came away from a second straight slugfest against Midland with a 10-9 win to close out the series. Jake Cunningham connected on a go-ahead three-run triple in the top of the sixth for his lone hit of the day. Since his promotion to Double-A back on June 23, the former fifth-rounder by way of UNC Wilmington owns an .802 OPS and 111 wRC+. Even with some strong early results, strikeouts remain plentiful, as he owns a 32% k rate with the Missions. … Tirso Ornelas logged a 3-for-3 day at the plate, which also featured a pair of walks and a run scored. Since June 1, the one-time big leaguer and former top 30 Padres prospect is slashing .281/.363/.531 with seven homers. … Braedon Karpathios went 1-for-5 with a single and a stolen base in Sunday’s win. After heating up in May and early June, the corner outfielder has managed just a .626 OPS and .284 wOBA in his past 25 games. While Karpathios flashes impressive power and quality of contact, he is still struggling to tap into his pull-side power this season, boasting only a 4.9% pull air rate. … Francis Peña slammed the door for the Missions in the ninth as he worked a perfect frame with one strikeout. While he hasn’t been able to recreate his 2024 form, Pena has been solid this season, striking out 29.3% of the batters he has faced with a 30.6% whiff rate and stellar 60.7% ground ball rate.
TinCaps 9, West Michigan Whitecaps 1
Key Stats: RHP Kannon Kemp IP, 2 H; RHP Maikel Miralles (W, 1-7) 5 IP, ER, H, 3 BB; SS Justin DeCriscio 3-for-5, HR (8), 2B, 5 RBI; DH Alex McCoy 1-for-5, K; RF Kavares Tears 0-for-3, 2 BB, R; 2B Rosman Verdugo 3-for-5; CF Ryan Wideman, 1-for-5; C Oswaldo Linares 3-for-4, HR (2), 4 RBI
Ryan Wideman continues to reach base at a solid clip after his promotion. (Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps)
Prospect Watch: After being held in check Saturday, the Fort Wayne offense broke out again West Michigan, totaling nine runs on 15 hits. … Justin DeCriscio turned in a strong afternoon atop the TinCaps lineup, going 3-for-5 with a double and blasting his eighth homer of the year. He’s flown under the radar, but the 2025 10th-round pick has been playing good ball over the last month, slashing .302/.368/.482 since the start of June. Along with an uptick in production, DeCriscio continues to display quality bat-to-ball skills and swing decisions, sporting an 88.8% in-zone contact rate and just a 19.2% whiff rate this season. … Rosman Verdugo collected three singles for his fourth multi-hit game in his last 22 starts. Overall, year two in Fort Wayne has been a struggle for the 22-year-old, as he’s hitting just .227 with a .735 OPS. … Alex McCoy tallied a 1-for-5 day at the dish, with his lone hit being a single. While he’s hitting .265 over his last 25 games, McCoy has struggled to find power, logging just seven extra-base hits and posting a .709 OPS in that same span. … Ryan Wideman also logged a 1-for-5 day at the plate. While he’s hit for a decent average, Wideman has only two extra-base hits since his promotion. Swing-and-miss is still a glaring issue for the Western Kentucky product, who is whiffing at a 32.7% clip since joining the Fort Wayne lineup. … Kannon Kemp worked a scoreless inning of relief, allowing two hits. In just his second outing since coming back from a lengthy IL stint, Kemp’s arsenal generated a pair of whiffs and a 33.3% whiff rate. He needed just seven pitches to complete his outing on a day he would normally have thrown a bullpen.
Rancho Cucamonga 6, Storm 2
Key Stats: LHP Jesus A. Castro IP, K; RHP Luis Maracara 3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K; RHP Sean Barnett IP, 2 K; LF Conner Westenburg 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R; DH Jorge Quintana 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K; 1B Truitt Madonna 0-for-4; CF Qrey Lott 1-for-3, RBI, K
Jorge Quintana has picked up his production in July. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: Lake Elsinore’s offense struggled in their series finale, tallying just five hits in their 6-2 loss to the Quakes. Jorge Quintana went 1-for-4 with a double and a pair of strikeouts, as he continues to trend in the right direction. While he is still putting the ball on the ground at a 55.3% rate, over his past ten games he’s slashing .275/.356/.450. In that same span, he has four extra-base hits. Since July 1, the 19-year-old has been doing a noticeably better job of putting the ball in the air, sporting an 11.1% pull rate. That’s a stark jump from just a 6.2% pull air rate in his first 60 games. … The only multi-hit showing from a Storm player on Sunday came from left fielder Conner Westenburg, as he went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. After a solid start to the year, Westenburg has slowed down considerably, posting just a 76 wRC+ and .318 wOBA since May 1. … Right-hander Sean Barnett worked the final frame for Lake Elsinore. Coming off one of his best outings of the year a few days prior, Barnett was excellent once again on Sunday striking out two in a perfect inning. The 23-year-old’s arsenal generated a 66% whiff rate as his four-seamer topped out at 99 mph. Over his past 23.2 IP, he boasts a 2.66 ERA, 33.5% whiff rate, and has held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average. His 18.1% walk rate in that frame is still very concerning, but Barnett’s stuff is, without a doubt, electric.
