Padres’ College Trio Expand Their Repertoires

The Padres selected three college pitchers in the first four rounds of the 2016 draft, and the organization wants the trio to move through the system as a group.

Righthander Cal Quantrill and lefthanders Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi all advanced to Double-A San Antonio in July and appear to be in a hurry to reach San Diego.

“I think so far it’s gone smoothly for us all,” the 22-year-old Lauer said. “I think to get to this point in pro ball, in a little over a year, is what I would consider the fast track for all of us.”

Indeed.

The 25th overall pick last year out of Kent State, Lauer started for the California League in their all-star game versus the Carolina League. In the first half at high Class A Lake Elsinore, he recorded a 2.79 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 84 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

The 24-year-old Lucchesi went 6-4, 2.52 with 95 strikeouts in 78.2 Cal League innings. The 22-year-old Quantrill joined the two southpaws in the Texas League after representing the Padres at the Futures Game, just two-and-a-half years removed from the Tommy John surgery.

“I’ve been blessed in a lot of ways, but it’s been a long time coming back,” said Quantrill, the eighth overall pick from Stanford who went 6-5, 3.67 with 76 strikeouts in 73.2 innings with the Storm. “It’s been a lot of rehab . . . and pitch counts. And I feel like while we’re still only at the very beginning of this journey, I feel like it’s a nice recognition of the hard work.”

Naturally, the health of his reconstructed right elbow was the first box to check off as Quantrill delved into his first full season of pro ball.

With his velocity reaching the mid-90s and his changeup still every bit the weapon it was pre-surgery, Quantrill began to shift his focus to refining his emerging curveball—rather than his slider—into his primary breaking pitch.

An improved feel for his curve had also been a focus for Lucchesi—a fourth-round pick from Southeast Missouri State—while Lauer attributes his leap forward to adopting Lake Elsinore pitching coach Glendon Rusch’s changeup grip as he broke camp.

“I didn’t really throw one in college,” Lauer said. “I didn’t need it, and it wasn’t a comfortable pitch for me. That was the main thing I wanted to develop coming into pro ball . . . (that) and being able to throw it over the plate has helped a ton.”

FATHER FIGURES

• In addition to Quantrill, the Padres promoted first baseman Josh Naylor from Lake Elsinore to San Antonio after he appeared in the Futures Game. The 20-year-old Naylor hit .297/.361/.452 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs in 72 games with the Storm.

• Sidelined with forearm soreness to start the year, righthander Anderson Espinoza was throwing from 120 feet heading into the all-star break.