The San Diego Padres didn’t just survive a farm-thinning year — they found a headliner. In a season that saw San Diego ship out names like Leo De Vries, Boston Bateman, and Braden Nett, a 23-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic used 95 high-octane innings to grab the organization by the lapels. Miguel Mendez didn’t enter 2025 on any must-watch lists, but he ended it as the Padres’ Minor League Player of the Year and the kind of internal pitching solution that front offices chase for years. For a big-league club that will need cost-controlled innings and swing-and-miss in 2026, that matters.
Padres’ surging prospect will be pushing for 2026 innings
