Since we are half way through the minor league season we will pause to see how the Padres top prospects are performing so far. This list is based on the players named in the pre-season top prospects list published on Friarhood.com and is not listed in order of ranking by any particular outlet.

There have been some surprises so far, some good and some not so good. Feel free to comment with any added information you have on these players and any opinions you want to share.

Casey Kelly: currently with the San Antonio Missions. Obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez trade (as if you didn’t know). 6-3 record with 4.48 ERA in 16 games and 86.1 innings pitched. 27 BB to 65 SO and a 1.459 WHIP. That gives him 2.8 BB/9 and 6.8 SO/9. Recently named as the starting pitcher for the Southern Divison All Star team in the Texas League All Star game. Is part of the successful starting rotation for the San Antonio Missions that consists of Kelly, Jorge Reyes, Juan Oramas, Simon Castro and the recently promoted Anthony Bass (Reyes has the best ERA of the group but Kelly, Reyes and Bass were in the top ten for the league).

Simon Castro: Started the season in AAA but struggled mightily with a 2-2 record and 10.17 ERA over the first 6 games pitched and 25.2 innings with 5 HR and 18 BB and 21 SO. Was sent to extended spring training to work on his issues and was brought back up to AA San Antonio three weeks ago. Is currently 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 4 games and 21 innings pitched with 6 BB and 17 SO. At 23 yrs old, Castro is still a work in progress and has shown inconsistency with his command even though he has terrific stuff.

Jaff Decker: Has played LF/RF and DH for San Antonio this season with a .249/.406/.452 line in 72 games and 261 AB. He has 16 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR and 53 RBI with 67 BB and 86 SO. He has also stolen 9 of 11 bases on the base paths. These numbers seem a little low for Jaff and it will be interesting to see if he heats up over the second half of the season, as he did last year.

Donovan Tate: Played 6 games for Fort Wayne to start the season then was injured and came back on June 17 with Eugene. In his 10 games and 45 AB in June, Tate has 4 2B, 3 3B and 5 RBI to go with 5 of 6 stolen bases for a .311/.354/.533 line.  His career is again interrupted due to a suspension for testing positive for an illegal substance (unofficial leaks name it as the synthetic version of cannabis). This is his second suspension for the same offense but he has already served 25 games of his 50 game suspension by attending a rehab program. At the age of 20, Tate is not washed up in his baseball career but he needs to start taking this all more seriously soon or that could happen.

Drew Cumberland: I watched Drew in Spring Training and he was with the SA Missions group. He looked healthy and we were all hoping for a breakout season for him. But he never made it to the start of the season and it was recently announced that he is out for the year. It is not a baseball injury this time but a medical issue that manifests by causing vertigo and dizzy spells. He has had past problems with migraines as well but his symptoms worsened during this spring and he was forced to seek treatment. He traced the onset of his problems to a football injury in high school but the exact diagnosis and treatment is not known.

Jedd Gyorko: The Padres knew they were getting an advanced bat in the 2^nd round of last years draft but a defensive position was the question. Drafted as a second baseman, Gyorko was switched to third at the beginning of his pro career and he has thrived. In 66 games and 280 AB for the Lake Elsinore Storm, Jedd has 31 2B, 15 HR and 66 RBI (all first in the league in those stats). He has 31 BB and 56 SO with 11 of 12 stolen bases which gives him a 1.102 OPS. This gives him a .386/.448/.664 line, which is second in the league, but he has greater than 100 AB more than the player in first. Gyorko was the Padres offensive player of the month for May and the All Star MVP in the Cal/Carolina league All Star Game. There is little doubt that he is in line for a mid-season promotion to AA after their All Star break this week. He will continue to be tested at third base as he rises through the system but has performed acceptably and has made only eight errors so far this season. The San Antonio Missions 3B, James Darnell, has also excelled and appears to be headed to AAA to open up a spot for Gyorko.

James Darnell: I was surprised at the beginning of this year to find Darnell back in AA to start the season. He did well with the Missions last year but it seems the Padres felt there was more for him to learn at this level. It appears he has figured it out, whatever it was, and is headed for AAA at the All Star break. Darnell’s line- .341/.434/.612 in 71 games and 273 AB gives him the most doubles on the team (24), most HR (16), and most RBI (61) so far this season. He is also the only player on the Missions with more walks than strikeouts (46/44) and he has accomplished all of this while adapting to two new positions (1B/LF) besides his regular 3B job. Darnell was recently named to the Futures game and will represent the Padres in that showcase of minor league talent. It appears the Padres are trying to use his natural athleticism to make him more adaptable to whatever the future holds for him with the major league team. It seems obvious the Padres have too many third baseman (Headley and Gyorko, besides Darnell) in the system and Darnell seems the most able to transistion to other positions.

Matt Lollis: This 6’-9”   250 lb  RHP is 20 yr old and pitching for the Lake Elsinore Storm. His season did not start well and he is currently working his way back to respectability. With a 3-4 record and 4.79 ERA in 14 games started and 61.2 innings pitched in the first half, Lollis has improved his ERA from the over 10 mark he had through the first weeks of the season. With his height this is not unexpected and struggling with his mechanics should be a familiar theme as he works his way up the professional ladder. The fact that he has improved so much over the last month shows his ability and gives us all hope that he can gain better control as he matures.

Edison Rincon: A product of the Dominican academy, Rincon is also 20 yr old and has been competing with Gyorko with the bat for the Storm. His line of .345/.397/.521 is not quite as good as his counterpart at 3B but he has held his own. With 23 2B and 7 HR he doesn’t have the power of Gyorko but has also had a completely different development path (also 2 yr younger). The big issue with Rincon is a defensive position. He does not profile well at any spot on the diamond and has been sharing 3B/DH with Gyorko but has 16 errors to show for it (63 games). He seems to be the perfect DH but since there is no DH in the National League the Padres will need to either trade him or try to develop some defensive position for him. It is possible they will try the old stop gap (LF) but that has not begun yet and with Gyorko’s almost certain promotion to AA, Rincon will probably get more chances at 3B to try and improve.

Jason Hagerty: The most skilled catcher in the system, Hagerty has had a good year but has been slowed by injuries and two trips to the DL. His .330/.398/.578 line with the Lake Elsinore Storm reflects his skill with the bat but those numbers are for 49 games and 185 AB. He has 21 2B and 7 HR with 43 RBI in that span. At this early stage in his development there is still a lot he needs to improve on defensively but he has made real strides in the last year and there is more optimism within the organization that he might have what it takes to be a major league catcher.

Adys Portillo: A non-drafted free agent sign in 2008, this Venezuelan 19 yr old was on the ESPN list of best Latino prospects when he signed. His progress has been bumpy but he remains a solid prospect because of his great stuff and high upside. With a 1-6 record and 7.22 ERA with Fort Wayne that might not be apparent but his 27 BB to 48 SO shows he has swing and miss ability. A lot of patience will be needed to determine what the Padres really got with this player.

Keyvius Sampson: The first half of the 2011 season has been very exciting when it comes to this 4^th round pick of the 2009 draft. He was a high school pitcher from Florida with a 90-96 mph fastball and undeveloped change. With the low A Fort Wayne Tin Caps, he has dominated. His 7-1 record and 2.60 ERA will undoubtedly earn him a call up during the second half of the season. In his 12 games started (62.1 IP) he has 20 BB to 70 SO! (and a 0.96 WHIP). The only question is when and to where will he be promoted. At 20 yr old the sky seems to be the limit for this RHP and a top of the rotation goal might not be out of his reach.

Reymond Fuentes:  Another of the players obtained in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, Fuentes is young (20 yr old) and the cousin of Carlos Beltran. He has speed and lots of it but many of his other skills are still being developed. Over 59 games and 248 at bats in the first half his hitting line of .302/.356/.359 for the Lake Elsinore Storm shows decent contact ability and acceptable on base success but he has only 8 2B, 3 3B and 18 RBI. His stolen base success shows advanced skills with 30 of 38 stolen bags. He will probably not develop any real power so driving the ball in the gaps for extra bases and getting on base at a high clip will most likely be the measure of his success as a player. He plays center field and has a good arm for his position. Many scouts felt this was the player with the most upside in the trade. Padres fans will have to wait and see.

Honorable Mentions

Rymer Liriano: Starting the season with the Storm, Liriano was overwhelmed and was sent to Fort Wayne after the first 15 games of the season with a .127/.213/.182 line. His success with Fort Wayne has been a great recovery. With a .311/.377/.503 performance, the just-turned 20 yr old has been named player of the week twice and was also named to the All Star game where he was 1 for 1 with a hit by pitch, two stolen bases and two runs scored (of the three runs scored). His outfield defense still needs some work but he is a legitimate 5-tool player who should be brought along slowly to see if he can blossom all the way.

Juan Oramas: The chubby (5-10,  215 lbs) left hander is not much to look at but he has excelled at every level and just turned 21 yr old. His current numbers with AA San Antonio 3-0 record with 2.08 ERA in 7 games and 30.1 IP are a small sample size but not that much different than what he has done at every stop in his career (he had a spring injury that delayed the start of his season).Loaned by the Padres to Mexico for the 2009 season, Oramas pitched most of last season for the Storm and had a 7-3 record and 3.00 ERA in 24 games. His BB/SO numbers for the Storm were 26/90. He has quietly pushed his way into contention as one of the top pitching prospects in the system (that no one knows about).

Brad Brach: I have been watching this right handed reliever since he was drafted in the 42^nd round of the 2008 draft and he continues to blow me away with his numbers. Converted from a starter to a reliever immediately upon beginning his pro career, Brach has closed for each of his minor league teams and set records for saves with FW in 2009 and for the Storm last season. He was the Cal league pitcher of the year and an Arizona Fall League Rising Star. At 6-6  210 lbs and 25 yr old, Brach is a bit over developed for AA San Antonio but with his line of a 2-2 record and 2.36 ERA in 40 games with 5 BB,  60 strikeouts and 21 saves he seems ready for another challenge. If anyone is a closer in the making, this is the guy. I will not be surprised to see him make rapid progress the rest of the way.

There are other players not on the pre-season list of highly rated prospects that are worth noting.

Vince Belnome was converted from 3B to 2B this season and has performed well. He was recently named Texas League player of the week for San Antonio. .324/.427/.581  66 games 241 AB, 18 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 43 BB, 56 SO.

OF Luis Domoromo was held over in extended spring for the first part of the season but has consistently batted over .300, has speed and is beginning to show some power for Fort Wayne. .319/.388/.458  39 games 144 AB, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 17 BB, 23 SO.

OF Sawyer Carroll was named to the All Star game for the Missions and has really hit well this season. He was once a touted prospect for the Padres but has slipped in the last couple seasons.

RHP Jorge Reyes is a member of the Missions starting rotation and is pitching very well. Another player who has quietly put together am impressive season so far. 4-2 record  3.46 ERA 15 games 67.2 ip 18 BB 62 SO.

There are many relievers who could be put on this list as well. The Padres do seem to have an ability to draft and develop great relief pitching. That is one area that does not seem to get you on prospect lists though. But keep an eye on the Daily Farm Round up and you will see some names mentioned repeatedly when it comes to dominant pitching in relief.

Obviously, two of the top prospects, Anthony Rizzo and Anthony Bass, have recently been promoted to the major league team and it seems Bass will be used similarly to Cory Luebke during his time with the team. An emergency starter and long reliever are roles he has not served before and his adjustment to these roles will be crucial to his success at the major league level for this season.