Credit: MiLB
The Padres have been one of the most frequent teams active in the Rule 5 Draft under President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller. Having already looked at Rule 5 eligible pitchers, what hitters in the eligibility pool are fits for the Padres’ roster needs?
The San Diego Padres have some holes on their roster, at least on the position player side. While most of the starting lineup is set, the Padres are likely to be searching for a backup catcher and potentially a platoon corner bat with power should Ryan O’Hearn sign elsewhere. With these parameters in mind, here are five bats the Padres could bring in via the Rule 5.
Matthew Wood, Catcher, Brewers
2025 Stats – 89 Games (High-A & Double-A), .256/.372/.380, 123 wRC+, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 14.1% K, 13.9% BB
The Milwaukee Brewers have built a reputation for developing catchers, and Matthew Wood could be another to the pile. Wood is a prototypical Brewers hitter, a gap-to-gap left-handed swing with some pop, but elite plate discipline. His approach at the plate has been at times criticized by scouts for being too passive, as he takes a lot of first-pitch strikes and chases with two strikes, but he has a strong eye and can see the ball well at the plate.
Wood posted a .789 OPS in 59 games at Double-A last season, making the jump from High-A almost seamlessly. Defensively, he is still developing, as his baserunner management and framing have received high praise for. He threw out 27% of attempted baserunners, and his framing ability should allow him to manage a pitching staff. His receiving has some room for growth, but with the Padres having Freddy Fermin as a starter, being Fermin’s understudy would be beneficial to Wood’s development, as Fermin could take him under his wing the way future Hall of Famer Salvador Perez did for Fermin.
Matthew Wood has been hot over the last 3 weeks, including hitting 3 homers in 4-game stretch and a 1.231 OPS overall in that span ?#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/xS264wpHTf
— Brewers Player Development (@BrewersPD) June 18, 2025
Credit: Twins
Tanner Schobel, Infielder, Twins
2025 Stats – 82 Games (Single-A, Double-A, Triple-A), .265/.358/.421, 113 wRC+, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 19.9% K, 11.6% BB
Schobel is a player who has consistently shown more talent than his tools lead on, a winning 45 if you will. The Virginia Tech alum has shown a strong ability at the plate, and while he doesn’t develop the most power, he doesn’t really need to for success. Schobel showed an ability to pull the ball for hard contact in 2025, something that was previously missing from his game.
He set career-bests in line drive rate, cent% (batted balls up the middle), and posted a 43.1% barrel rate in over 100 plate appearances at Triple-A to end the season. Defensively, Schobel has played above-average defense at second base, while playing serviceable defense at third base, shortstop, and left field. With his ability to move around the diamond, adding Schobel to the Padres’ roster provides a utility option with upside that can allow the team to keep Jake Cronenworth at one position.
Leadoff Laser!
Tanner Schobel yanks his seventh homer of the season over the left field wall.
B1
TUL 0, WCH 1 pic.twitter.com/MNqjUDExmo
— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) May 31, 2025
Credit: Yahoo Sports
Blaze Jordan, 1B/3B, Cardinals
2025 Stats – 129 Games (Double-A & Triple-A), .270/.331/.450, 111 wRC+, 19 HR, 99 RBI, 11.0% K, 7.9% BB
Much has been said about Blaze Jordan since he was taken by the Red Sox in the 2020 Draft, with the biggest calling being his power potential. Jordan has always been viewed as a power over hit prospect, and after a tough 2024 season that saw him play in only 89 games, 2025 was a major bounce-back. Opening the season at Double-A Portland, Jordan launched six homers in 44 games, and with a 167 wRC+ in that span, Boston promoted him to Triple-A Worcester. In 44 games there, Jordan kept hitting, slashing .298/.341/.480 with six homers.
Due to Boston’s first base logjam, he was dealt to the Cardinals in the Steven Matz trade. While his production took a dip when he got to the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate (.198/.242/.366), he still hit seven homers in 41 games and posted a higher hard-hit rate compared to his Worcester stint. However, his ground-ball rate shot up to a staggering 56.4% with the Memphis Redbirds, a career high. Jordan has spent most of his time defensively in a corner infield spot, and that remained the same with both organizations last season. Should he be selected, Jordan would provide the Padres with a right-handed platoon or starting caliber DH bat who can play third or first should the Padres need to give Manny Machado a day off his feet. Jordan could also solve the currently unresolved first base situation, as he could platoon with Gavin Sheets depending on the matchup.
Blaze Jordan launches his first home run as a member of the Cardinals organization:
EV: 101.8 MPH
LA: 24°
Distance: 397 ft. pic.twitter.com/y6r4pfjVzC
— Kareem Haq (@KareemSSN) August 14, 2025
Credit: Sod Poodles
Christian Cerda, Catcher, Diamondbacks
2025 Stats – 93 G (Double-A), .237/.340/.449, 103 wRC+, 18 HR, 49 RBI, 17.5% K, 13.3% BB
Cerda may only be 22, but he has become a rock-solid defensive catcher since arriving in Arizona’s farm system. Initially a Rays prospect, Cerda was dealt to the Snakes in exchange for former Padre David Peralta. Cerda has consistently improved as a defender over the past three seasons, and his leadership skills have not gone unnoticed by scouts. Cerda has shown a strong ability to manage a pitching staff, and his plus receiving and blocking giving him a strong foundation. He has always had a cannon of an arm, but struggled with throw accuracy in seasons past.
This past season, Cerda posted a caught-stealing rate of 30.4%, which would have ranked him sixth in MLB among qualified catchers. That ranking would have him among the likes of Patrick Bailey and Carson Kelly. At the dish, Cerda has shown a strong eye that has allowed him to manage the count effectively. This finally turned into in-game power, as Cerda set a career-high in home runs with 18. Cerda, while still young, would be a catcher with double-digit home run upside in the future in a full-time role. If he is selected by San Diego, he could be in line for a backup role with occasional time at DH depending on his performance at the plate.
CERDA ENDS IT! 2-RUN SHOT IN A 3-2 COUNT ENDS ONE OF THE CRAZIEST GAMES IN HODGETOWN HISTORY!
17-15 AMA
F pic.twitter.com/xKWekhp3LC
— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldPC) June 28, 2025
Atlanta Journal
David McCabe, 1B/3B, Braves
2025 Stats – 133 G (Double-A & Triple-A), .275/.367/426, 132 wRC+, 14 HR, 72 RBI, 22.1% K, 13.0% BB
McCabe presents an interesting prospect profile, a switch-hitting corner infielder with an average glove. However, what he lacks in the glove is more than made up for in the bat. McCabe had a strong season in 2025, returning from a 2024 Tommy John surgery. In 133 games, McCabe was 32% better than average by wRC+, and he slugged 14 homers while getting his first taste of Triple-A ball.
His under-the-hood numbers were strong at Triple-A, despite a 94 wRC+ in a month’s worth of games. McCabe registered hard-hit balls on 53.2% of batted balls in play, and crushed right-handed pitching to the tune of an .832 OPS. At Triple-A, he averaged 95.5 mph off the bat against right-handed pitching. He also posted a 10.9% swinging-strike rate in 2025, which sits around the league average. For a player whose career-average strikeout rate lies between 20-22%, his ability to hit the ball in the air with authority will determine how much playing time he will be able to carve out.
McCabe (25 y/o) is a switch-hitting corner IF that has good pop regardless of pitcher handedness. Big frame at 6’3, 230 lbs. Between AA and AAA:
-.275/.367/.426
-132 wRC+
-.372 wOBA
-10.9% SwStr%
-22.1% K%
-13.0% BB% pic.twitter.com/ATBb7E8FQv
— Past The Eye Test Baseball (@PastTheEyeTest) November 21, 2025
While the Padres’ offseason is far from over, these five names represent players who could be the necessary role players on a team searching to make the postseason for a third season in a row (which would be a franchise first).
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.
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