USC catcher Augie Lopez is headed to the San Diego Padres after being taken with the 22nd pick in the 10th round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
The 21-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Trojans and put together a strong two-year run in Los Angeles. As a freshman in 2025, Lopez hit .284 with three home runs and 14 runs batted in, earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
He took another step forward in 2026, batting .278 while launching 19 home runs and driving in 57 runs. That kind of pop showed up all season, and it likely played a major role in his draft stock.
If Lopez chooses to sign with San Diego and leave his college eligibility behind, the move would keep him close to home. He grew up in Hermosa Beach, California, and attended Loyola High School. Even the early stages of his pro career would keep him in Southern California, since the Padres’ current Single-A affiliate is in Lake Elsinore, in the Los Angeles area.
The path gets a little less local after that. San Diego’s Advanced-A, Double-A and Triple-A clubs are all based outside California, so a promotion would eventually take Lopez away from his Southern California backyard for the first time in his career. If he reaches the majors with the Padres, though, he’d be back in So-Cal again - this time in San Diego.
The Padres have been one of baseball’s steadier teams over the last six seasons, reaching the playoffs four times in that span. Still, the October success has not gone very deep.
They’ve made the NLCS only once in those six seasons and have not been to a World Series since 1998. This year has also been a struggle.
San Diego entered the All-Star break at 48-48 and 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Lopez’s departure would leave USC with a notable hole behind the plate, but the Trojans have had a strong run of their own. They reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons, ending a decade-long drought in 2025 before falling in the regional championship.
In 2026, USC went 48-18 and pushed even further. The Trojans won their regional to advance to the Super Regionals, where they matched up with North Carolina. USC won the opener of the best-of-three series and moved within one victory of its first College World Series trip since 2001.
But the Trojans couldn’t finish it off. They dropped game two, then carried a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning of the decisive third game. USC’s bullpen couldn’t protect it, and North Carolina walked them off in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win.
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The season also brought national recognition, with Edwards emerging as a finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award and earning Baseball Americas pitcher of the year honor. His performance made him the highest-drafted USC player since Brad Boxberger in 2009, and now he heads into the Athletics minor league system with the sort of momentum that can change the early shape of a pro career. [Read more 🡒]