A.J. Preller has plenty on his offseason plate, but one of the biggest jobs in front of him may be the hardest sell of all: patience.
That matters because Kannon Kemp, San Diego’s No. 13 prospect, is starting to flash the kind of arm that can make an organization think twice about moving on. The 22-year-old right-hander has had a rough road to this point. A 2023 eighth-round pick, he missed all of 2024 after shoulder surgery, then an oblique injury delayed his return to the mound until mid-June this season.
When he finally got back, the results weren’t encouraging. Across rookie ball and High-A Fort Wayne, Kemp posted a 6.28 ERA in 38.2 innings, and opponents hit .321 against him. For a pitcher with a live arm and plenty of projection, that kind of line usually makes him the type of prospect a front office might shop.
But Kemp is giving the Padres a reason to slow down.
In the Arizona Fall League, he has opened with four hitless innings and five strikeouts, a sharp change of pace from the struggles that defined his season. His fastball is sitting just a few ticks below 100 MPH, and the early signs point to a pitcher working his way toward better command. It also suggests the shoulder and oblique problems may be behind him.
That’s why Kemp’s progress matters so much for a Padres club that may need help in its own rotation sooner rather than later. With an aging starting staff, the organization could be forced to lean on internal development, and Kemp fits that mold if he keeps building on this stretch.
For now, his stock is moving in the right direction. The Padres have seen enough to at least pause before deciding what he is. If this trend continues, Kemp could move from intriguing arm to real big-league need faster than expected.
In Other News...
Padres Prospect Justin DeCriscio Is Forcing His Way Onto The Radar
Justin DeCriscio keeps adding to his case at a time when the Padres are always looking for young players who can push their way into the conversation. After going undrafted in 2024 before landing with San Diego as a 10th-round pick in the 2025 draft, he has used the Arizona Fall League to show why his name is starting to circulate a little more loudly. The blend is obvious enough: some offensive progress, enough speed to stand out, and the kind of defensive flexibility that lets a club imagine different ways to use him.
The latest jolt came with a three-run home run, the sort of swing that gets attention beyond a prospect report. DeCriscio has also been moving around the field, which only adds to the sense that he can help himself by staying adaptable, but the bigger question remains how his bat holds up against more advanced pitching. For a player who has already taken an unusual path just to get drafted, this fall is becoming an important test of how far that late momentum can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Have A Shot At A Power Bat Worth Debating
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For the Padres, the question is not simply whether Sato can hit, but whether his power translates cleanly to MLB pitching and where he would fit defensively. Manny Machado is expected to stay at third base, which means San Diego would have to map out another role for Sato if it moves forward, making this as much a roster puzzle as a talent evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Merrill Quietly Built A Padres Breakout Fans Should Notice
Jackson Merrills 2026 season ended with the kind of across-the-board production that usually turns heads around the league, even if it took a while to fully show up. During a year in which only six players reached the 25-homer, 25-steal mark, the Padres had two of them, with Merrill joining Fernando Tatis Jr. in that club after a strong finish helped reshape how his season looked on paper.
The first half was uneven enough that Merrills overall numbers still settled closer to league average than star level, but the second half told a different story. He hit .304/.339/.569 after the break, added 16 homers and eight steals, and closed the year with 26 home runs and 27 stolen bases, a reminder that his breakout came less with a bang than with a steady climb the Padres could not ignore. [Read more 🡒]