Outside of A.J. Preller’s first draft — when signing James Shields cost the club its first-round pick — the Padres have picked inside the top-eight each year. One of those picks (Cal Quantrill, No. 8 in 2016) made his major league debut in 2019 and another (MacKenzie Gore, No. 3 in 2017) is considered one of the best pitching prospects in the game.
This year the Padres pick eighth again — behind the Tigers, Orioles, Marlins, Royals, Blue Jays, Mariners and Pirates. The Rockies and Angels round out the top-10 selections. The first round begins at 4 p.