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A native of San Diego, Jake Bold is living his dreams playing in the Padres’ minor league system. In speaking to the young player, you get a sense that he is destined to be in the game of baseball to some degree. 

Catcher Jake Bold signed with the San Diego Padres after the conclusion of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Signed out of Princeton University, the catcher had been on the Padres’ radar since Bold’s junior year at La Jolla Country Day School. The Padres knew Bold well as the two sides continued to build a relationship throughout his collegiate years. They offered the backstop a contract as the Padres knew he would likely be drafted the next year, which would have been his senior year at Princeton.

Bold ends his collegiate career with a .289/.425/.457 slash line, producing an .882 OPS in 121 games.

If not for a cold spell during his 2025 season, the native of San Diego surely would have been selected in June. It was a gamble for the Padres, but they knew Jake Bold very well.

The young backstop is a Padres fan through and through. Being selected by the team is a dream come true for the 22-year-old. It is a surreal time for Bold as he embarks on his first year of full-season baseball. The catcher caught up with East Village Times this past week to discuss his career and what he was up to now in preparation for the upcoming year. “I am working out at a local facility. At my high school-La Jolla Country Day,” Bold started the conversation by saying.

While searching for a high school, Bold decided on La Jolla Country Day to work with John Edman. The head coach of the program for the last 26 years is highly regarded for his craft. His son, Tommy Edman, plays for the Dodgers and is widely considered a very smart ball player. Coach Edman gets results, and Bold was excited to work with him. “He was a big draw for why I went there in the first place. Just knowing all the guys who have come through his program. Coach is a great leader and a great person. He was someone whom my parents were very comfortable sending me to. He is really knowledgeable and has a lot of experience,” Bold said about his high school coach.

During his high school years, Bold was stunted by the COVID year of 2020. His sophomore season was lost, but as his junior year in high school approached, Bold was given a rare opportunity. Coach Edman utilized connections with Princeton University, which was looking for a catcher. They were interested in Bold, and that was flattering for the young player. They came out and scouted him and offered him a scholarship. He committed to the school early in his junior season at La Jolla Country Day.

As the young player began to establish himself, the right-handed hitter went to a workout for the Padres in Lake Elsinore. He was coming off a wrist injury in his junior year, but still attended the event. It was too good an opportunity to pass up for the lifelong Padres fan. After his senior year of high school, Bold caught three or four pre-draft workouts with the Padres as well. The two sides had an interest in one another, but the writing was on the wall for the catcher. “We both knew that if they (The Padres) gave me an opportunity, it would be for very little money. The Princeton degree is a huge opportunity,” Bold said. The chance to go to an Ivy League school to further his craft was the best choice for him. “It was a mutual understanding.”

Credit: Princeton University

Jake Bold is an economics major at Princeton University. The school does not have a business school, so economics is the closest thing to what really drives the catcher. His passion is for baseball, and possibly working in a front office when it is all said and done. He points to Chris Young and Will Venable as mentors in this plan. Both are Princeton graduates and former Padres who work in the industry. Venable manages the Chicago White Sox, while Young is the GM of the Texas Rangers.

Bold knows the difficult road that is ahead of him. He has a backup plan, though, and it involves the sport he loves. “I knew my area guy (with the Padres) and knew Chris Kemp a little bit. I was building a relationship about working in baseball after my career was done,” Bold explained. His early years working out for the team were a way to gather information about the business side of the game. Something that fascinates the catcher.

With two semesters to go, Bold is a year away from a degree. He went to school in the Fall, and that goal is happening. Baseball may delay his graduation, but he remains focused on obtaining his degree. That says a lot about Jake Bold as a person.

Jake Bold IG

Growing up in La Jolla, the young man struggled early in his baseball career. He was candid in explaining that he first put on the catcher’s gear in an attempt to play more. “I think it was the easiest way for me to get on the field. I wasn’t very good growing up. Just trying to get on the team and find my way,” Bold explains. His love for the game was there, but his physical talents were not innate. Jake Bold needed to work to really appreciate the craft. “In like 6th grade, I started to prioritize being a catcher and not just a player. I worked with catching instructors in the area. I started to love it then.”

Catching is tough. It takes a special breed to want to catch. “Mentally, it is so stimulating. It is a game within the game. Being able to work with a pitcher and collaborate on their pitches. It makes you feel like you are always working with someone, and you can help them out. I get a reward from that,” Bold said with excitement. A lot of successful Major League managers come from the catching position. It is no secret why. That type of personality absorbs the game. “Being able to be in control and be involved in every play. I like to think about the game and understand it on different levels.”

The former Ivy Leaguer is very cerebral. That goes without saying. When asked about his defensive game, the evaluation of his defensive skill was honest. We talked about whether he considered himself a plus defender. “I think I am becoming one. I am always hesitant to say yes. As I look back at a video of myself from six months ago, I see that I wasn’t very good. You are always getting better,” Bold explains. There is always room to grow, and with professional coaching, he is ironing out some details with his receiving skills.

The first day Bold suited up in Padres gear was a core moment in this young player’s life. Growing up in San Diego, he is a massive fan of the team. “It was pretty crazy. I think I was smiling the entire day. It was pretty nuts,” he said about that first day wearing the brown and gold. It is not something he takes lightly, either. “I am humble, but it is kind of hard not to soak it up every day. I am a huge Padres fan. It was pretty surreal. Before the draft, I just wanted to be a professional baseball player. There is no way to quantify how much I wanted to play for the Padres.”

While in Arizona this past Summer, Bold did not get as many at-bats as he wanted. “I got a few (at-bats). Like 20 or so. I popped out my pinkie on my throwing hand, diving back to a base. It was during one of Jackson Merrill‘s rehab at-bats. They took it really slow. I ended up missing like a month,” Bold said. The experience was not what he envisioned, but he takes it all in stride. “It was good to get my feet wet. I got to catch a lot of bullpen sessions.”

In his collegiate career, the right-handed hitter showed a propensity to get on base. He posted a .425 lifetime on-base percentage at Princeton in over 400 career at-bats at the Division 1 level. “Dating back to high school, our big thing was I don’t care how you get on base. It is moneyball-esque. I just try to find my way to first base, and I don’t care how,” Bold explained. He recognizes his pitch and is not afraid to go deep into counts. That should play in pro ball, as pitch selection is one of the keys to success.

Credit: Phrake Photo

The Padres are working with Bold to use the middle of the field. The team invests time in each player’s swing. Even those who are undrafted free agents. “They are very big on controlling ball flight to the middle of the field. I was very rotational early on. We talk about Petco Park hitting a lot in the meetings,” Bold said. Interestingly, the organization is making sure its young players are able to use the spacious confines of Petco Park. Catering a player’s swing to a certain ballpark is excellent. Especially if the same philosophy is used throughout the whole minor league system. He is working hard on these changes to his swing and approach. It is a constant effort for the right-handed swinger.

He believes in his mechanics, but is not above making changes. “We did some drills in terms of getting my bat path through the pitcher and into center field. Trying to stop hooking off at the end. They make a great effort to evaluate you and see what you struggle with. I was at the complex for a few weeks before they first started making adjustments. They wanted to evaluate me first,” Bold said. The Padres first watched him closely and then made amendments to his swing mechanics.

The grind is often a phrase used when talking to baseball players. Bold is familiar with the topic and uses an internal motivation to get through the day. His inspiration is simple. “I think it comes from a love of the game and just being around it. When I wake up in the off-season, the love to play and get better is still there; the love to get better. I can improve myself and my life through this medium. Through baseball. It is something that just calls to me. Even when I struggle, I know it is for me to get better. I just love playing. Even when it is going badly,” Bold said emotionally.

His goals for 2026 are not about numbers or playing at a certain level. He wants to improve. It is that simple for this young hitter. “I want to get better every day and put my best foot forward. To provide for the organization and stay healthy. How much I play and where I play will be a product of my mindset. I will just control what I can and not worry about the rest,” Bold explained. He knows that there are tons of variables. He can only control what he can. His job is to get better and be better each day. The rest will take care of itself.

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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