Summary
The Lake Elsinore Storm won the first-half title, cruising to a league-best 39-27 record. After much of the position-player core was promoted to Fort Wayne, the Storm limped to a second-half record of 27-38, including an 11-game losing streak in August. However, the team got hot at exactly the right time in September and ran through the playoffs 4-1 to secure their fifth California League championship.
Jose Castro uses his sinker effectively to all four quadrants. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Overview
Our approach to eligibility remains straightforward. Players are considered at whichever affiliate they logged the most service time. Winyer Chourio was promoted mid-season to Fort Wayne, but he’s eligible in Lake Elsinore, as he pitched more games for the Storm than he did for the TinCaps. We recognize the top contributor to this year’s team as the top player, while the top prospect is based on our expectations based on his production, age, projectability, and potential impact in the major leagues.
Level
Low-A is the first level out of the complex leagues and is the bottom rung of full-season ball, so it can be challenging to gauge how meaningful a prospect’s performance is. Some pundits focus primarily on the raw ability and potential demonstrated, while others focus on the consistency of performance.
We lean toward more of a middle-of-the-road evaluation relying on a couple of questions to filter through it: (1) how old is a player compared to the competition; (2) how raw or developed was the prospect heading into full-season ball, and (3) is he making the necessary adjustments during the course of the season.
Pitcher of the Year: RHP Jesus Castro (John, David, Ben, Kevin) 22 G, 90.1 IP, 87 H, 31 BB, 100 K, 4.18 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .249 average against
Others Receiving Votes: RHP Winyer Chourio (Clark) 12 G, 51.2 IP, 38 H, 25 BB, 74 K, 3.31 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, .204 average against.
Castro, 19, made a massive leap from the DSL to the Cal League in 2026 and pitched remarkably well given his inexperience. After a pedestrian April, the teenager from the Mexican state of Sinaloa impressed in May, pitching to a 2.33 ERA while racking up 27 strikeouts in 19.1 innings across four starts. He followed that up with a solid June (3.54 ERA) and an even better July (2.65 ERA) before hitting a wall in August (9.20 ERA). He recovered down the stretch and gave the Storm a pair of solid outings in the playoffs. Castro allowed just three homers all season and was the most consistent Storm starter this season. Castro posted an impressive 25.4% strikeout rate with remarkable feel for the strikezone for a pitcher with so little experience. Opinions on whether his fastball, which only sits 91-93 but has impressive run, and change-up heavy approach will work against more advanced hitters will determine how prominently he features in our individual top-30s this winter.
Winyer Chourio has emerged as a strikeout merchant for Lake Elsinore. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Chourio began his second campaign in the California League and showed dominant stuff before earning a promotion to Fort Wayne. The 22-year-old, who signed for $10,000 in 2024, racked up 26 strikeouts in 17 innings in April, then put together a stellar outing in an 11 am game against Rancho Cucamonga in May where he punched out 10 batters without issuing a walk. During his time with the Storm, Chourio struck out 34.6% of the batters he faced, and he led the Cal League in strikeouts prior to his promotion to Fort Wayne. While Chourio’s command still needs work – he walked over 11% of the batters he faced in the Cal League (a result that was inflated to 16% in Fort Wayne) – the righty can run his fastball up to 98 with exceptional extension. His big curve and change-up give him enough swing-and-miss stuff to be an interesting pitcher to watch in 2027.
Top Pitching Prospect: LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (John, Ben, Kevin)
Others Receiving Votes: RHP Coleman Borthwick (Clark); RHP Lan-Hong Su (David)
Schoolcraft, 19, was easily the highest profile player in Lake Elsinore at the start of the season. The 2025 first-rounder took the mound on opening night and had a very ominous start to his first full professional season, giving up six runs in one inning of work, walking four batters. He followed that up the next week at home, recording just one out before departing. Things rarely improved through the summer and there’s no way around it; the numbers for Schoolcraft weren’t pretty. He posted a 5.90 ERA in 79.1 innings with a troubling 57 walks. Some of the command issues are to be expected for a guy who continued to grow through the year and is now 6-foot-10. Despite the ERA, Schoolcraft did show some flashes of potential, and capped his season in game two of the California League South Division finals with five shutout innings with one walk and eight strikeouts against Ontario. It is still much too early to draw conclusions about Schoolcraft, but the organization will certainly be looking for more from the lefty in 2027.
Coleman Borthwick impressed in the playoffs. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Borthwick’s inclusion is a bit of a technicality, as he hasn’t made his regular-season debut. However, the 2026 first-rounder was added to the Storm roster for the playoffs and made a pair of outings, including two shutout innings in the deciding game of the California League Championship Series. During that outing, the massive Florida native showed a 97 mph fastball and a nasty slider that should excite Padres fans about his potential. He should be the headliner of the 2027 Storm roster an could be their top prospect by the middle of next season.
Su dealt with blister issues during his first taste of extended spring training, so he didn’t arrive in Lake Elsinore until June. The 19-year-old got off to a rough start in the Cal League before finding his footing and showing stretches of dominance down the stretch. Over his final 17.1 regular season innings, Su punched out a whopping 29 hitters while issuing just three walks, then he tossed a pair of scoreless innings in the final game of the Cal League Championship Series, earning the save for his effort. The 6-foot-1 righty, who signed for six-figures out of Taiwan late last year, struck out 30% of hitters faced while posting a solid 6.6% walk rate. He already shows feel for a four-pitch mix and has reached 96 mph with his fastball. It’s not unreasonable to think that he can add 20-30 pounds over the next few years, which could translate into velocity gains.
Tyler Schmitt. (Photo: Robert Escalante)
Others of Note: Righty Bryan Balzer looked much better during his second stint in the California League. The 22-year-old righty showed an upper-90s fastball and an excellent slider to rack up 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings. Balzer moved up to Fort Wayne, where he showed some flashes but struggled to command the strike zone. Having come into the system with virtually no experience on the mound, the Japanese native is just starting to tap into his abilities. … Tyler Schmitt, the Padres’ 17th-rounder in 2025, led the Storm with 98.1 innings pitched and 106 strikeouts. The former Illinois righty struggled with consistency at times and finished the season with a 4.76 ERA. … Undrafted free agent Nick Falter was the most dependable reliever for the Storm in the first half. He pitched to a 3.02 ERA in 22 games, spanning 44.2 innings, before being promoted to Fort Wayne. … For the first time in his life, Sean Barnett focused solely on pitching and showed some improvement despite walking more than a batter per inning. He struck out 47 batters in 40.1 innings while pitching to a 5.94 ERA.