Credit: IMAGN Images

The San Diego Padres signed right-handed pitcher Triston McKenzie earlier this month, and he may pay huge dividends for the team in 2026. 

Quite often, under-the-radar signings pay off big for MLB teams.

In a quest for inexpensive pitching, the San Diego Padres agreed to terms with former top prospect Triston McKenzie. He signed a Minor League deal with an invitation to camp in Peoria.

If healthy, McKenzie will surely compete for a rotation spot out of the spring. He is also a candidate as a long reliever out of the pen. “Those are always intriguing players — somebody that’s coming back from injuries, has something to prove,” A.J. Preller said about the signing when it was announced.

Ruben Niebla is surely well aware of the ability of McKenzie, as the two spent time together in Cleveland. At the age of 28, McKenzie is still young enough to break out in the league and live up to his abilities. The Padres are banking that he will contribute in a huge way to the 2026 season.

During the 2022 season, Triston McKenzie was highly productive, going 11-11 on the year in 30 starts and 191.1 innings pitched. The right-handed pitcher struck out 190 batters and walked only 44 men, producing a 0.951 WHIP and a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 25.6% of batters faced and only gave out walks at a 5.9% clip. Very promising numbers for a young pitcher.

At 24, the former first-round pick looked like a future ace for the Guardians.

But it all fell apart early for the young hurler as he was shut down in March of 2023 with a shoulder strain to his throwing arm. McKenzie came back a few months later but sprained his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. Surgery was not required, but the pitcher has yet to regain his form from the 2022 season.

He only pitched 16 innings for the Guardians during the 2023 season.

Triston McKenzie returned to health in 2024, but velocity issues plagued him. His fastball was down to 91.1 mph on average, and that was nearly two miles slower than his excellent 2022 season. McKenzie made 16 starts in 2024 but coughed up a 5.11 ERA and walked 49 batters in 75 innings. He was a mess, and his numbers did not improve in Triple-A, as McKenzie posted a 5.23 ERA in Triple-A.

Last year, Cleveland intended to use him out of the pen. He failed miserably, allowing seven earned runs in his first 5 2/3 innings pitched to begin the season. Despite an uptick in overall velocity, Cleveland designated the pitcher for assignment. He cleared waivers as all 29 other major league teams passed on his services. McKenzie was making $1.95 million, so that was not a surprise.

As the Padres look toward the 2026 season, Triston McKenzie may be very useful.

His numbers show that the right-handed pitcher is an extreme flyball pitcher. Playing half his games at the spacious confines of Petco Park is an advantage as McKenzie attempts to get back to relevance.

Triston McKenzie threw 9,166 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2020 and 2025. Last season, McKenzie relied primarily on his four-seam fastball (94 mph) in the MLB data that was collected. The pitcher mixed in a curve (80 mph) and a slider (88 mph). He can throw a sinker (95 mph), but his game is to pitch up in the strike zone with the heater. That is how he gets batters out consistently.

His four-seam fastball has less arm-side movement than typical pitchers, which results in more flyballs compared to other pitchers’ four-seam fastballs. The pitch shows slightly above average velocity and has some added backspin. That is something the Padres can work with and something that will play well at Petco Park. It will also be important for the Padres to solidify his mechanics. If McKenzie can pound the zone as he did during his breakout 2022 season, then the Padres will reap the benefits.

McKenzie’s curveball generates a high number of swings and misses compared to other pitchers’ curves. The pitch also results in more flyballs compared to other pitchers’ curves. Again, absolutely perfect for Petco Park and the Padres’ competent outfield group. He throws the curve harder than most pitchers, which could be a factor for him in keeping left-handed batters off balance.

His slider is another extreme flyball pitch as he continually generates outs with it. The pitch generates more whiffs compared to other pitchers’ sliders, which is a great example of the depth he creates with the selection. Surprisingly, McKenzie does not have great movement on the pitch. Batters are fooled by velocity as the selection misses the bat. The pitch moves quickly and with tight spin, is hard to recognize, and impressive if executed correctly.

There is a lot to work with when it comes to this young pitcher.

The former high school selection out of Florida could live up to the hype in San Diego. For the Padres, that is exactly what they need for the 2026 season: “It’s a different organization, maybe we can unlock something…  he’s always been a super talented guy,” Preller said about his new pitcher. There is huge potential here, and nothing brings the best out of a person more than motivation.

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.

Continue Reading