Credit: Brandon Pollard/ EVT Sports

With tremendous size and upside, San Diego Padres’ prospect Kale Fountain is beginning his full-season professional career in Lake Elsinore with the Storm. 

At 19, Kale Fountain is built like a man. A strong man.

The 6-foot-5, 225 lb. infielder is an exciting prospect in the San Diego Padres farm system.

Fountain was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of a high school in Nebraska. He committed to LSU, but the Padres gave him an offer Fountain could not refuse. The power-hitter essentially signed with the Padres for second-round money, but an arm injury delayed the start to his career. Eventually, the infielder underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in October of 2024.

The beginning of his career was challenging, but Fountain is taking it all with a grain of salt. “It just made me appreciate being here (as he motions to the environment around The Diamond in Lake Elsinore). Playing baseball. It was a tough thing, but it taught me resilience,” Fountain tells EVT. The injury is limiting him early in his pro career, but in time the large third baseman/first baseman knows this will just be a distant memory.

The young ballplayer was excited to go to college and possibly play for the University of North Carolina. It was a difficult choice to take the Padres offer. “A lot more difficult than people think. A lot went into it. It wasn’t easy but I figured either way it was going to work out with a good work ethic,” Fountain said. “I am just playing the game the right way and looking forward to getting better. Honestly, at the end of the day, if I am playing baseball it doesn’t matter. I was going to get to where I needed to be regardless,” Fountain said rationalizing the signing. His professional career may have started earlier than he thought, but he knows his talent will take him to where he needs to be on the field.

The Padres scouted Kale Fountain for several years. His power potential was evident at an early age. “They got in contact with me pretty early on. In 2023, I played up at the NWSA with the 2023 grads. I was a 2024 grad. Met Troy Hoerner there the Midwest area scout for the Padres. He was great and I always stayed in contact with him,” Fountain explains to EVT. The Padres came to Nebraska to watch him firsthand and that is when things got serious. “Things started ramping up. They came and watched me hit and came to a few games in the spring. The Padres’ guys watched me in the summer circuit and the relationship grew from there. It was a two-year build up.”

Kale Fountain loves it in the Padres organization. The team always handled him with respect, and they set out a great gameplan for him long-term. “I always told people and especially my agent that the Padres were the nicest organization and always welcoming to me. I was very excited (to be drafted by them), and it worked out great,” Fountain said.

The organization was very supportive to Fountain as he went under the knife to repair his elbow. The injury was a scary thing for the teenager, but he had support from several outlets. “I leaned on family and faith. And those close to me. It has made the ride better and smoother. I am still learning and still adjusting. Getting better every day, and I am looking forward to the future,” Fountain says about the injury. He persevered and that is what is most important. “That was a really crazy time for me.”

Credit: Brandon Pollard/ EVT Sports

The rehab process on his elbow was redundant to the 19-year-old, but it really was a learning experience. “Rehab gets boring. You are doing the same stuff over and over,” Fountain explains. The whole experience was also a battle in his mental game as the young ball player simply could not go out there and play the game he loved. “You have to watch your buddies from the same draft class go play and have fun. It was a tough,” Fountain said. Instead of dwelling on the rehabilitation, he used the time to improve himself. He worked out and got stronger. The brawn and added muscle are noticeable. The man is jacked.

Despite his size and strength, Fountain is very nimble on his feet. He takes pride in that fact. “I feel like I am a good mover for my size and can run well even though I am pretty big. I can rip some bags, and I think I can create some chaos that most teams wouldn’t expect from someone of my size.,” Fountain explains. He is very light on his feet. In the Storm’ game after the interview, Fountain made a nice grab down the line and beat the base runner to first base for the third out of the inning. The photo above is that play.

Speed is not his forte, though Fountain does move extremely well and will steal bases. Power is his game. The right-handed thrower has an excellent arm and possesses light tower power in the batter’s box. Kale Fountain broke the Nebraska high school record for career home runs (31), He also holds the state record in career RBI’s (154) and stolen bases (84). Yes, the 225 lb. mountain of a man holds the state record in career steals. His speed is arguably the tool that must pundits do not speak much about, but it’s above average.

In the minors, Fountain owns one career homer in 162 plate appearances. That is not alarming in any way, as the young hitter is being challenged for the first time. He dominated in high school and is now battling professional pitchers who have equal talent to him. “I am still learning how to tap into that (power) in games at the professional level. But I know it is still there. That it will show up when I start putting together better swings. Once I get more comfortable,” Fountain said. He is not satisfied with the results early, but there is plenty of time for the 19-year-old to improve.

There is a sense that he is really not satisfied with how he is playing right now. The youngster expects more. But the reality is he is less than 10 months post-surgery on his throwing arm. There is no rush. Kale Fountain is way above the norm in terms of returning from an injury of this extent. Kudos to him for taking his rehab serious and putting in the work. He may want instant results, but that is just not possible. It will come in time. Slowly his swing is coming around.

Credit: Brandon Pollard/ EVT Sports

Ever the perfectionist. Fountain strives to improve all around. “I need to be better at being a more well-rounded baseball player. Focus on the attention to detail to every little thing. I’ve learned that you cannot take any reps off in pro ball because everyone you are around really, really good and on top of their stuff,” Fountain explains. Looking around the farm system, the young player realizes that he is just one of several players capable of playing his position. His focus is on improving his mental game. “I need to get better at those things (being well-rounded). I need to understand that you will fail and need to focus on taking something positive out of every game. Understanding that I am going to fail and make bad decisions at the plate.”

The game will humble you and we discussed that fact. His injury was certainly a way for the game to put him in his place. It happens. What makes the difference between a minor leaguer and a major leaguer is how you respond to failure. How will you get back up when you are knocked down? For Fountain. He is all about staying even keel and learning. He wants to soak up all the information he can.

His arm is reportedly at 100 percent, though the Padres are reluctant to allow him to play third base just yet. The team is being wise and allowing him to return back to the diamond slowly. “I would say I am at 100 percent. I am not playing third yet and need to get to that progression first. Been playing first base every day though. And my arm feels great. I am playing catch to whatever distance I want. I feel strong and put on a lot of muscle in rehab. Everything feels strong and ready to go,” Fountain said.

Playing first base is not something entirely new to the teenager, though he is admittingly more comfortable at third base. “I have almost always played on the left side of the infield. I played two years of first in high school when I was an under classman, so I have some experience there. But, I am very excited to get back to third base,” Fountain said. His arm strength and mobility will not be an issue at third. His footwork will need to continue to develop, but this right-handed hitter is a pro typical power hitting third baseman.

(With Victor Figueroa) Credit: Brandon Pollard/EVT Sports

In talking hitting mechanics, the young infielder shared his approach at the plate and how he is working to improve. “My ultimate goal is to get my “A” swing off during an at-bat. At times, early on, I was getting stuck, getting too big with movements at the plate and was kind of making indecisive decisions at the plate. I am trying to get to one spot and feel the stretch and be ready to swing. Obviously to get good pitches (to hit) too. I am just trying to keep my hands through the middle. They get away from my body sometimes. I am just trying to stay through that pitcher’s forehead,” Fountain explains.

His approach is up the middle as the large right-handed hitter has the power ability to hit the ball out of the park to all fields. “I always worked with my dad growing up. That has always been our focus (staying up the middle). My dad and I always say- the mistakes are the balls that you pull and the balls you hit oppo (opposite field). You don’t want to be early and pull a ball 100 feet foul. So, I have been working on that,” Fountain said. In the ACL, Brian Betancourt and Nolan Early assisted the young hitter to get his timing right. “It is steady progress and what I like about the organization is that they communicate well. When I got here, they knew exactly what I was working on in the ACL.”

Kale Fountain’s dad played college ball. The elder Fountain was a pitcher and knows his son’s swing very well. “He pitched at Iowa Western and then went to Cameron College in Oklahoma,” Fountian said about his dad. “He is really proud. His support means the world to me.”

In reflecting more about the game, Kale Fountain gets deep when explaining an identity of a growing ball player. “I need to remember everything that I have put into this game. I feel sometimes as athletes and baseball players we take this game as too much of our identity. How we play on the field, we let dictate our life off the field. I know I am guilty of that. I just want to remember how far I have come. Remembering those who were with me along the way. Friends, coaches and everyone. I just need to remember that no matter what I am going to make them proud. It is just really cool that I get the opportunity to do something like this,” Fountain explained.

His goals for the year are to continue to grow. To get better. That is his focus. He knows there is work to do. But he is excited for the future and the uncertainty that is ahead. The Padres have a special player in Fountain. He could be really good.  I want to approach every day as an opportunity to get better. I try not to get too performance driven. My goal is to leave the ballpark every day and know that I gave it my all that day. If I got better at something that day, then I am happy,” Fountain said with a smile.

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.

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