2026 IBC Padres Prospect News & Notes

[Padres]

At 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Marco Dinges isn’t going to wow anyone physically.

The way he swings the bat? That’s a different story.

“His bat speed is off the charts,” Brewers assistant director of player development Brenton Del Chiaro said. “It’s one of the best—if not the best—in our organization.

“And what that does is it allows him to drive the ball out of the ballpark to all fields.”

The Brewers drafted Dinges in the fourth round in 2024 out of Florida State. The 22-year-old is a righthanded-hitting catcher who appeared in 47 games at the position in 2025, while serving as DH in another 30.

Dinges batted .300/.416/.514 with 13 home runs for Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin. He was one of seven minor league catchers to top a .900 OPS while batting at least 300 times.

hitting an even .300 with 13 home runs, 62 runs batted in while compiling an OPS of .930 in 77 combined games between Class A Carolina and Class High A Wisconsin.

A badly strained hamstring led to him missing a large chunk of time and never being fully right late in the season. That’s a big reason why his stint in the Arizona Fall League was abandoned after two games.

Opposing pitchers learned fast that Dinges does damage at the plate.

Del Chiaro said that Dinges’ bat speed has topped out at 85 mph in training and sits around 75 in games. Those are major league-caliber readings.

Dinges has been letting it rip at the plate for a long time.

“I’ve always swung pretty violently,” he said. “I was pretty undersized when I went to junior college and I’ve always had the same swing—I just didn’t have the strength. Then once the strength got added, the results started showing.

“I never really struck out that much, so I was like, ‘Why not?’ That’s how I felt about it.”

Defensively, Dinges possesses a strong arm and is athletic for a catcher but needs to continue to log game reps with game-calling and pitch-framing as focal points.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... s-results/

[Padres]

Padres: Miguel Mendez, RHP (No. 5)

Unranked at the start of the season, Mendez was facing roster purgatory ahead of his Rule 5 Draft eligibility this offseason but looks like a must-add now after showing a 95-98 mph fastball and a plus slider over the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels. He wrapped up his 2025 campaign with a 3.22 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 95 innings while dropping his seasonal walk rate from 15.5 percent in 2024 to 11.2.

Rockies: Kyle Karros, 3B (graduated from Rockies Top 30)

Karros had been on the back half of the Rockies' Top 30 list as an intriguing fifth-round pick out of UCLA in 2023, and his .311/.390/.485 line in 2024 certainly didn't hurt. Still, he was ranked No. 21 on the list entering the 2025 season, but improved his stock immensely when, after shaking off an early injury, he hit .301/.398/.476 mostly between Double-A and Triple-A (an OPS of .861 in Hartford is impressive). That led to him getting called up to the big leagues in early August and his feel for hitting along with his outstanding defense give him the chance to man the hot corner in Colorado for a long time.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/one-break ... e-coverage

[Padres]

18. Dominic Keegan, C

Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R

Age: 25
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Mild

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: In his final three seasons at Vanderbilt, Keegan’s bat kept him in the lineup, but his struggles catching meant he logged more time at first base than catcher. Keegan’s bat wouldn’t get him to the majors as a first baseman, but he and the Rays have worked hard to make him a plausible catcher. That’s meant he’s been on a level-a-year timetable that is slower than most college draftees, but after being held back by an elbow injury early in the season, Keegan was Triple-A Durham’s primary catcher in 2025.

Scouting Report: Keegan’s bat isn’t a problem—as long as he’s catching. He’s a mistake hitter who can be beaten by quality pitching despite well above-average bat speed. Keegan’s swing has some length, but he looks for sliders, cutters and sweepers he can drive, and he rarely misses a hanging breaking ball. His ability to punish pitchers’ mistakes should help him get to 12-15 home runs a year with regular playing time, and he draws enough walks to buttress low batting averages. Defense remains Keegan’s biggest question. His arm is well below-average thanks to modest arm strength and a slow exchange. As a pitch framer, he’s inconsistent, especially struggling to smoothly steal strikes at the bottom of the zone. He’s much more fluid on pitches up, turning pitches just above the zone into called strikes. He has improved to become above-average at blocking balls in the dirt.

The Future: The Rays added Keegan to the 40-man roster in the offseason. He should head back to Triple-A Durham with a chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026. His defensive limitations point toward a more likely outcome as a big league backup with uncommon power and plate discipline.

Scouting Grades Hit: 35 | Power: 45 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 30

https://www.baseballamerica.com/teams/2 ... c0a2d30cb6

[Padres]

Los Angeles Angels

Hayden Alvarez, OF

Alvarez was a big part of the Angels’ 2024 international class. He has proven to be a very productive player so far, and was a key part of the Angels’ 2025 Arizona Complex League champs. He has everyday upside with a smooth swing and solid plate discipline, although he’ll need to add bat speed and power to be a future MLB regular. The biggest questions revolve around his defense. He is a plus runner, and he’ll flash the ability to play center field, but on other nights he looks lost in the outfield. — J.J. Cooper

New York Mets

Eli Serrano III, OF

Drafted in the fourth round out of NC State in 2024, Serrano served as a sparkplug for a dynamic High-A Brooklyn lineup in 2025. He got out of the gates hot with an .813 OPS in the first half, but that figure dipped by more than 250 points in the second. Serrano is a 6-foot-6 lefthanded hitter who does a little bit of everything well, including limiting his miss rate despite having such long levers. He produced the 14th-best isolated slugging among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, a product of strong exit velocity data and a low groundball rate. — Matt Eddy

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... m-in-2026/

[Padres]

The son of Sammy Serrano Jr., who played for Stetson University in the mid-90s and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 2nd round of the 1998 MLB Draft, Eli Serrano III followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued baseball. The Fuquay Varina, North Carolina native initially attended Patriot High School in Nokesvlle, Virginia, where his father was the head baseball coach, but transferred to the Pro5 Baseball Academy in Apex, North Carolina in his junior year. A former teammate of Ryan Clifford, Serrano hit .434 in his senior season in 2022. Considered a highly sought prospect due to his large, athletic frame, bat-to-ball skills, and power potential, he ultimately went undrafted in the 2022 MLB Draft and attended North Carolina State University.

Overview

Name: Eli Serrano III
Position: OF
Born: 05/01/2003 (Age 23 season in 2026)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2024 MLB Draft, 4th Round (North Carolina State University)
2025 Stats: 88 G, 324 AB, .222/.332/.358, 72 H, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 50 BB, 77 K, 9/12 SB, .266 BABIP (High-A)

Serrano made an immediate impact in his freshman season, appearing in 53 games and starting 49 of them as the Wolfpack’s primary first baseman. He hit .292/.389/.470 in total, with 12 doubles, 7 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and drew 24 walks to 37 strikeouts, earning ACC All-Freshman team honors. He had a similar season in 2024. Shifted from first base to center field, Serrano appeared in all 61 games the Wolfpack played and hit .285/.380/.431 with 9 doubles, 0 triples, 9 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and drew 32 walks to 37 strikeouts.

A draft-eligible sophomore, the Mets selected Serrano in the 4th round of the 2024 MLB Draft and signed him for $697,500, just a bit over the MLB-recommended slot value for the 111th overall selection, $656,400. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets in mid-August and appeared in 17 games for them, hitting .238/.333/.444 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 7 walks to 16 strikeouts.

The outfielder was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to begin the 2025 season and spent the entire year there, his season limited to 88 games due to an injury in late May that kept him off the field for a few weeks and then an injury in late August that ended his year prematurely. In the 88 games he played in, Serrano hit .222/.332/.358 with 21 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and drew 50 walks to 77 strikeouts.

Serrano, who is an impressive 6’5”, stands square at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He interchangeably uses a toe tap or light leg lift timing mechanism and has a very minimal load and weight shift. His long levered, left-handed stroke generally stays level through the zone and produces plenty of loud contact.

Thanks to his tall frame and long arms, Serrano has a great deal of plate coverage with his swing, but still needs to learn more selectivity and stop putting poorly hit balls in play simply because he is able to extend his arms and get wood on them. Left-handers have exploited all throughout his college career and in his brief time as a professional; against southpaws, Serrano hit .186/.290/.279 this past season as compared to a more palatable .235/.346/.387 against right-handers. When he makes solid contact, Serrano is capable of putting a charge in the ball, with multiple batted ball events resulting in 100+ MPH exit velocities. He does not expand the zone much, swinging and missing on outside pitches, so it is not that he is being fooled by away pitches, but rather, he needs to learn to take more questionable or bad pitches.

Serrano shows solid batting practice power, but he has yet to really manifest that in-game, and pulling and lifting the ball more solves that issue. With a 45.2% pull rate, 25.4% up-the-middle rate, and 29.4% opposite field rate, Serrano has room to optimize his batted ball data; likewise with a 26.1% line drive rate, 40.6% ground ball rate, and 33.3% fly ball rate, the outfielder shows a clear avenue for improvement.

Coming into the season, Serrano did not have a clear defensive home; he spent all of his 2023 freshman season as a first baseman and all of his 2024 sophomore season in centerfield. The Mets drafted Serrano as an outfielder and have penciled most of his playing time in at center, with a bit of time in left field and right field as well. While he is not speedy in the traditional sense, thanks to his long-legged gait giving him plenty of range, Serrano has been adequate in the outfield, but he is still very raw. He reads the ball off the bat well enough but needs to improve his routes to the ball. His arm is a bit stretched in right but is a bit stronger-than-average for center field. Serrano should be given every opportunity to improve his center field defense, but should he not, a corner outfield spot is likely his long-term home.

https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-minor ... serrano-22

[Padres]

Born on November 3, 2006, in Moca, a city in northern Dominican Republic, Edward Lantigua was considered one of the better players available in the 2024-2025 international rookie player class. The Mets formally signed the outfielder on January 15, 2024, the first day of the signing period, giving him a $950,000 signing bonus, the second-highest that they gave any one player that year.

Overview

Name: Edward Lantigua
Position: OF
Born: 11/13/2006 (Age-19 season in 2026)
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Acquired: IFA, January 15, 2024 (Dominican Republic)
2025 Stats: 49 G, 153 AB, .288/.433/.399, 44 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 33 BB, 29 K, 13/23 SB, .366 BABIP (Rookie-FCL)

Lantigua played for both DSL squadrons in 2024, hitting .290/.443/.462 in 28 games with the DSL Mets Blue and .220/.313/.288 in 17 games with the DSL Mets Orange, good for a cumulative .263/.397/.395 batting line in 45 games on the season with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run, 9 stolen bases, and 21 walks to 37 strikeouts. He was sent stateside for the 2025 season, appearing in 49 games for the FCL Mets. The 18-year-old outfielder did not miss a beat, hitting .288/.433/.399 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 23 attempts, and drew 33 walks to 29 strikeouts. Among players who played at least 40 games in the FCL, Lantigua’s OPS was eighth in the league.

Listed at 6’4”, 195 pounds, the skinny and leggy Lantigua has already added some height and mass since signing with the club and will undoubtedly put on some more as he ages. The right-hander stands open at the plate, holding his hands at the letters and angling his bat head at 1:00. He swings with a big leg kick and a smooth, balanced load and weight transfer. The swing is a bit long-levered but has shown no issues against his peers in live pitching exercises in both the Dominican Summer League and the Florida Complex League. It produces easy power, with multiple batted ball events resulting in 100+ MPH exit velocities in 2024 and 2025, and thanks to his good approach, exceptional eye, and strong bat to ball skills, Lantigua has the chance to develop into a multi-dimensional hitter with power to all fields. The biggest area of improvement that the 18-year-old needs to address is hitting the ball in the air more; his 16.4% line drive rate, 55.5% ground ball rate, and 28.2% fly ball rates in 2025 all were inferior as compared to his 18.8% line drive, 38.4% ground ball, and 42.9% fly ball rates he posted in 2024.

In the outfield, scouts and evaluators project Lantigua to have the ability to stay in center field thanks to his above-average speed. With his long legs and high waist, Lantigua has a body type that is unlikely to lose speed and athleticism as he adds muscle mass, but if he ever does and is unable to stay in center, his strong, above-average arm will allow him to play right field as well.

https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-minor ... antigua-21

[Padres]

9. Will Watson, RHP

Born: 2002-11-07
B: Right T: Right
H: 6′ 1″ W: 180 lbs.

History: Drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, University of Southern California; signed for $281,300
Previous Rank: #19 (org)
Major League ETA: Late 2026/Early 2027

Year Team Level Age W L SV G GS IP H HR BB% K% K GB% BABIP WHIP ERA DRA
2024 SLU Lo-A 21 1 0 0 2 0 2.7 2 1 0.0% 30.0% 3 71.4% .167 0.75 3.37 4.21
2025 SLU Lo-A 22 0 4 1 10 8 39.3 30 3 12.7% 25.9% 43 44.6% .276 1.30 3.66 4.62
2025 BRK Hi-A 22 1 3 0 14 13 63.7 45 3 10.8% 29.7% 77 45.0% .288 1.15 1.70 3.51
2025 BNG AA 22 2 2 0 4 2 18.3 13 2 12.2% 29.7% 22 55.8% .268 1.20 3.44 3.18
2025 StuffPro: FA (-0.6), SL (-0., FC (-0.2), CH (-0.2)

The Report: The Mets borrowed a trick from their Bronx neighbors last year, drafting a swingman from a major program, and turned him into a top pitching prospect. I guess USC is also a directional California school, filling in that box of Yankees pitching prospect bingo. It was Watson’s third stop in three years in college; he spent a year in JuCo before his time with the Trojans, and originally matriculated at California Lutheran, But while Watson didn’t have much of a college pitching track record, he did have big stuff. And big stuff will win out most times. His fastball sits 95 with decent, but not amazing, shape. However, it comes from a release height just a smidge over five-foot, with a flat approach, making it look (and play) more like a ride-run heater. Watson did most of his damage in the low minors with his fastball/slider combo, the latter a mid-to-upper-80s traditional two-planer. But his change-up became a real weapon for Watson in Double-A and can show almost 20 inches of run at times. He also has a bridge cutter around 90 to feature to lefties. Despite the four-pitch mix and 2025 Double-A success, Watson still has some reliever markers. He doesn’t hold his top velocity deep in outings, and most of his outings were of the four-to-five-inning variety. And his fastball doesn’t have nearly the same verve at 93-94. He has an uptempo delivery with some late arm effort, and his command and control both come in at below-average. Nevertheless, like a lot of the names ahead of him, Watson’s relative lack of amateur pitching reps and rapid development in the pros suggest there could be further improvements to come.

OFP: 55 / no. 3/4 starter or setup reliever

Variance: Medium. I suspect you could drop Watson into a two-inning relief role in the majors sometime before the All-Star break and he’d be fine, the trouble is that also might just be his best role in 2027 or 2028. I’m bullish on the starter upside, however.

Jesse Roche’s Fantasy Rundown:

Top-500 Dynasty Prospects: 243
Potential Earnings: $5-10
Fantasy Overview: Watson has loud, lively stuff that plays up from a low release point. His fastball is a potential plus pitch, sitting around 95 mph with both riding and running action. Watson regularly mixes in three quality secondaries, headlined by a plus changeup with huge tailing action and strong separation from his fastball. Despite impressive stuff, his command remains a work in progress and his track record is limited. Yet Watson is an underrated arm who could skyrocket up rankings in 2026 with improved command in the upper minors.
Reckless Fantasy Comp: Emmet Sheehan

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... prospects/

Will Watson

Before the 2025 season, I wrote about Watson as a breakout candidate, and I’d say he did just that. The 23-year-old had a 2.60 ERA (ranked 19th among 288 minor league pitchers with at least 100 innings) and 142 strikeouts in 121 1/3 innings with St. Lucie, Brooklyn and Binghamton. Watson limited opponents to a .202 average and gave up only eight home runs the entire season. Watson sits at 94/95 mph with his fastball, which gets up to 97 mph at times, and has flashed elite induced vertical break. He mixes in a cutter, slider and changeup.

https://metsmerizedonline.com/2025-mets ... -all-stars

[Padres]

13. Eli Serrano III, OF (High-A Brooklyn)

After taking Carson Benge in the first round in 2024, the Mets went back to the “projectable, draft-eligible Sophomore outfielder” well with their next position player pick in the fourth. Serrano was a two-year starter at NC State, and while he didn’t put up particularly great numbers for the Wolfpack, he did offer intriguing contact and power metrics his Sophomore year. He’s retained just about all his pop with the switch to wood bats, and while his contact rates took a ding in the pros, they were still pretty solid in Brooklyn. But once again, Serrano’s top-line numbers are worse than his underlying metrics. Some of that is due to Brooklyn being an awful park for lefties, between the wind blowing off the water in right and a batter’s eye backed by an amusement park. But a lot of it is due to Serrano just not elevating the ball enough. He swings with clear intent to clear his hips and pull, and the ball jumps off his bat even to the opposite field, but too much of his hard contact is on the ground. He’s also likely to end up in a corner long term, so he will need to actualize more of the theoretical power for this to work out.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news ... prospects/