Not having a second-rounder hurts.
But Chris Kemp doesn’t whine about anything A.J. Preller does to eat into his bonus pool. He pivots.
The Padres went heavy on collegians on the final day of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, saving up money to, they hope, wrestle two high school catchers away from their college commitments:
Fifth-rounder Ty Harvey is committed to Florida State and 11th-rounder Truitt Madonna is committed to UCLA.
The two compare to Lamar King Jr., a 2022 fourth-rounder catcher currently enjoying a breakout year in the California League, and bolster the catching depth chart behind top prospect Ethan Salas.
“They are physical horses with tools and power,” said Kemp, the Padres’ vice president of amateur and international scouting. “They are athletes. …They complement each other very well.”
Signing Nick Pivetta, the recipient of a qualifying offer that he rejected, cost the Padres their second-round pick in this draft and deflated their bonus pool to $6.57 million, third-lowest among all big-league teams.
More than half is likely set aside for first-round left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft, as the 25th overall pick in the draft comes with a recommended signing bonus of $3.61 million. Because the Padres dream on the upside of toolsy high-schoolers and like to bet on their scouts digging up value in all corners of the country, they started a run on fifth-year seniors after selecting Harvey with their fifth-round pick.
They are expecting Harvey to cost more than the $426,000 recommendation for the 160th overall selection.
And college seniors don’t have much leverage, leaving many to sign below slot values.
That put the Shippensburg right-hander Jaxon Dalena, Cincinnati third baseman Kerrington Cross and Oklahoma left-hander Jamie Hitt in the Padres’ crosshairs.
Dalena struck out 99 batters in in 83 innings (3.36 ERA). Cross is an engineering grad and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year after pairing 12 homers with a .657 slugging percentage. Hitt has been clocked up to 95 mph from the left side, always an intriguing starting point for a pro pitching career.
“We’re first in line to get (Cross) and some of those other guys that were real performers,” Kemp said.
That includes 12th-round outfielder George Bilecki, who posted a 23-home run campaign at NCAA Division II Lewis University; and 16th-rounder Cardell Thibodeaux, who led the nation with an .847 slugging percentage at Southern University.
The Padres were also at every one of St. Bonaventure pitcher Michael Salina’s outings in the spring, before he required Tommy John surgery. The reports had his fastball at 98 to 101 mph and drawing Jeremiah Estrada comparisons, making him a no-brainer of a selection in the fourth round — even if he’ll be out of action until at least spring training.
Kemp also grabbed three college shortstops, including 11th-rounder Justin DeCriscio — who transferred from USD to NC State — and two University of Pittsburgh teammates in 15th-round left-hander Ryan Reed and 20th-round first baseman Luke Cantwell.
Then Kemp and his staff got back to work. The Padres’ scouting department had as of Monday evening already been on the phone with more than a half-dozen prospects who did not have their named called Sunday or Monday. The hope is the undrafted free-agents can follow pitcher Braden Nett, who has ascended to No. 9 in the Padres’ farm system as ranked by MLB.com after going undrafted in 2022.
“Once the draft ends,” Kemp said, “we go into 21st-round mode.”
The Padres’ 2025 draft class
The Padres have until July 28 to sign this year’s draftees:
- 1st round: LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (Sunset HS, Ore.)
- 3rd round: OF Ryan Wideman (Western Kentucky)
- 4th round: RHP Michael Salina (St. Bonaventure)
- 5th round: C Ty Harvey (Inspiration Academy, Fla.)
- 6th round: RHP Jaxon Dalena (Shippensburg University)
- 7th round: 3B Kerrington Cross (Cincinnati)
- 8th round: LHP Jamie Hitt (Oklahoma)
- 9th round: RHP Will Koger (Arizona State)
- 10th round: SS Justin DeCriscio (NC State)
- 11th round: C Truitt Madonna (Ballard HS, Wash.)
- 12th round: OF George Bilecki (Lewis University, Ill.)
- 13th round: SS Dylan Grego (Ball State)
- 14th round: RHP Clay Edmondson (UNC Asheville)
- 15th round: LHP Ryan Reed (Pittsburgh)
- 16th round: OF Cardell Thibodeaux (Southern, La.)
- 17th round: RHP Tyler Schmitt (Illinois)
- 18th round: RHP Landry Jurecka (Queens University of Charlotte)
- 19th round: SS Jonathan Vastine (Vanderbilt)
- 20th round: 1B Luke Cantwell (Pittsburgh)
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