Padres roster review: Garrett Hawkins – San Diego Union-Tribune
GARRETT HAWKINS
Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 26
Height / Weight: 6-foot-5 / 230 pounds
How acquired: Ninth round in 2021 (University of British Columbia)
Contract status: Added to the 40-man roster in November 2025; will not be arbitration-eligible until 2029 at the earliest
fWAR in 2025: 0
Key 2025 stats (minors): 9-1, 1.50 ERA, 10 saves, 3 holds, 80 strikeouts, 23 walks, 0.85 WHIP, .138 opponent average, 60 IP (45 games)
STAT TO NOTE
4.2 — Hits allowed per nine innings in 2025, well below his rate (10.20 per nine innings) when Hawkins last pitched in 2023.
TRENDING
Up — Hawkins had been looking to build on a solid freshman season at British Columbia (3.62 ERA) when the pandemic halted his 2020 season after six starts (3.66 ERA) and wiped away the 2021 season. He did throw an indoor bullpen for the Padres at some point during that downtime and then showed well in the MLB Draft League (2.63 ERA, 24 IP), allowing the Padres to feel confident in signing him for $75,000 as an under-slot selection in 2021. From there, Hawkins had climbed the latter as a starter until forearm discomfort halted his 2023 season at high Single-A Fort Wayne after four starts. The ensuing Tommy John surgery sidelined Hawkins until the start of the 2025 season, when he returned to Fort Wayne as a reliever with an altered arsenal. Hawkins changed out his gyro slider in favor of a sweeper and a curveball to throw off his mid-90s fastball and he dominated the Midwest League, striking out 60 batters against 13 walks over 44 innings (1.43 ERA) before a late-season promotion to Double-A San Antonio. Hawkins was nearly as good to finish the year in the Texas League, as he posted a 1.69 ERA over 16 innings to force the Padres to add him to the 40-man roster after the season.
2026 OUTLOOK
Hawkins had never pitched above High A until popping as a reliever in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. He’s in position to land on the radar of the big-league staff with a good spring training and could make his debut this year, whether the team decides to stretch him back out as a starter or add him to their relief depth chart.
Padres right-hander Garrett Hawkins at high Single-A Fort Wayne in 2025. (Fort Wayne TinCaps)
ROSTER RANKINGS
32. RHP Garrett Hawkins
33. RHP Miguel Mendez
34. RHP Daison Acosta
35. RHP Ty Adcock
36. RHP Alek Jacob
37. INF Mason McCoy
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