Credit: Brandon Pollard/ EVT Sports
The 2026 season is a chance for San Diego Padres’ infielder Zach Evans to establish himself in the league.
In his first year of full-season pro ball, Zach Evans showed great promise.
The right-handed hitter advanced a level and is on the cusp of being recognized as one of the prized prospects in the Padres system.
His season started in Lake Elsinore, where he got off to a hot start, posting an .881 OPS in April for the Storm. The numbers went down in May and June, but a promising July resulted in a promotion for the 23-year-old infielder. Overall, he put up a .745 OPS in the California League in 96 games and 379 at-bats. “As soon as I got there. I felt the baseball was good. I learned a ton about what a real professional season looks like and the toll it takes on you,” Evans said to EVT this week.
For Evans, it was more about sharpening his mind for the grind of a professional season. “I thought it was a great experience for my mental focus and learning more about the game. You learn a bunch of stuff about how the game is played when you are thrown out there in your first full season. You learn stuff that you never knew about yourself.” Evans said. The baseball education a minor league season gives you is valuable. But, only for those who pay attention.
Drafted as a shortstop from a Division II school (Lenoir-Rhyne University), Evans transitioned to play all over the infield. Last season, he played each infield spot. His main appearances were at third base and second base. At 6-foot-4, Evans is showing great versatility for his size. That is valuable. “Any way to stay in the lineup. Some guys want to play certain positions. I would play catcher; you could make me a catcher if it meant me playing,” Evans said with a laugh. Not knowing where he was going to play excited the young ball player. “I loved waking up and wondering where I was going to play that day. It was somewhere different a lot of the time, and I enjoyed it.”
The challenge of the Midwest League
On August 1, Evans received a promotion to the Fort Wayne TinCaps and the Midwest League. It was exciting for the young ball player. But he struggled as the promotion tested his mental fortitude once again. “It was different. People would always tell me. Guys who have gone through it. They say this might be the biggest jump you take in your career. A lot of people say that, and I think they are 110 percent correct,” Evans said.
We spoke more about the differences in the two leagues and why the transition was so difficult. “You get a guy in the Cal League, and he’s throwing 96-98 mph, but he’s kind of just throwing it. In Fort Wayne, you see that same velo, but these guys are pitching. They know where to go and where to throw you. They know your weakness and are not throwing the ball just to throw it. There is intent behind their pitches,” Evans explains intently.
It was a challenge for the young hitter, but he did not back away from it. “I enjoy it more in a sense. I like the competitive aspect of it. It is more like a chess game than before,” Evans said. Zach Evans battled his whole life to get to where he is with his baseball career. This latest setback was not going to do anything more than educate him. “That was the biggest notable jump for me over there. Getting into a hitter’s count, I am not getting 96 down the middle of the plate. I got to know how this pitcher throws and when he throws certain pitches. The hitters’ meetings and the analytics that you need to know have definitely increased there. You need to know who is on the mound for the other team.”
As you jump levels, the play increases. The speed of the game picks up. Zach Evans felt that initially, but he started to get normalized to the play late in the season. “I felt really good. I think I stayed pretty consistent for the most part. That was my big thing, having it be a super long season. There were a lot of ups and downs. For the most part, I stayed pretty level in that aspect. I thought it went well. I tried to keep my feet under me as much as possible and take each day as it came,” Evans said.
Despite his productive season, Evans did not get an invitation to the AFL League from the franchise. Perhaps the Padres decided he needed rest. After his first full season, it was probably wise to allow him to digest the season and not put more pressure on him. Evans stated, “I would’ve 100 percent been down for that.” But that was just because he is a baseball junkie and is always looking to play.
Credit: Robert Escalante)
Work to do
Adjusting. Getting better. Knowing what to do and when to do it. These are what make or break a professional baseball player. When it comes down to it, everyone on the roster is talented. It is what you do with those talents that makes the difference on the playing field. Zach Evans knew he struggled last year in certain areas with the bat. He wants to boost his power numbers, improve his numbers against lefties, and improve his execution on inside pitches.
“I have really tried to dial in on getting my launch better. True backspin to the pull side. I think I struggled with that this past year. Getting to that velocity in the inner half (of the plate). Getting my barrel path to how it should be through the inner half and trusting it. That has been the main focus. I think it is coming together pretty well,” Evans states. He feels he hooked the ball too much, resulting in foul balls. He also hit top-hand fly balls that two-hopped the wall. With better backspin and staying on the correct bat path, his fly balls will carry more. He will be on time more instead of hooking the inside pitch. His power numbers will increase in 2026.
Last year, Evans put up a .609 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Against righties, he put up a .716 OPS on the season. These reverse splits for the right-handed hitter are interesting, and we talked more about them. “In my plan, we broke out most of the at-bats against left-handed pitchers. Now, looking back, I feel like the report on me was to back foot me and bust me inside. That affected me. For whatever reason, I would stay in there longer against right-handed pitchers than lefties. The lefty thing I did not pick up on until after I started meeting with people. Props to the other teams. They knew what to do and how to execute it against me,” Evans said as he assured me it won’t happen again.
He spent hours watching videos, recognizing his issues. Evans’s only regret is that he did not pick up on this during the season. As he jumps through the system, data like this will be more prevalent, and he will surely utilize it. “We sat down at the end of the year with a couple of people and went through my plan. That was one of the biggest ones. Especially off left-handed pitchers with breaking pitches in on me. Staying through that. Rather than coming around the pitch,” Evans said.
We delved more into situational hitting and his plan at the plate. “My approach used to be to take a two-seamer from a lefty and line it over the second baseman. Their ball naturally tails away from me as a right-handed hitter,” Evans said. His swing naturally inside outs the ball to the right, so this made great sense. But, as he matures, Evans is aware he needs to change. “Maybe they see that and start to bust you inside because you are covering more of the outside of the plate. The mental side of the game plays. Being prepared and knowing if the pitcher can come inside to me. Knowing what they throw and when they throw it.”
The mental aspect of the game and the business side
The mental aspect of the game is often overlooked. For Evans, he knows how huge it is for advancing. “The game is more mental than anything. Knowing when to make those adjustments and how, and especially why you are doing them. Not (making the changes) just because someone told you to, but why you are making that adjustment is more than half the battle,” Evans said.
Another element of the game that is not discussed much is the human element.
In late July, Evans saw three good friends tarded from the team in Lake Elsinore. Victor Figueroa, Boston Bateman, and Cobb Hightower all bonded with Evans. They are still friends to this day. “That was tough, man (the trade). It is different being in it than seeing it from the outside. Seeing it happen firsthand was kind of heartbreaking. All three of those guys, I am still very close to. We talk all the time. You are happy for them because they are valued by someone. It is awesome in that aspect. It was tough to see them go, though. I am happy for them. They are all doing well. It is way different seeing it first-hand than behind a phone screen. You forget it is a business sometimes,” Evans said.
That trade helped the major league ballclub, and that is all that matters. The business side weighs out. These young professionals know that, but it is still surreal to see it happen firsthand. “It happened very quickly. One after another (they got the word they were traded). They are doing their thing, and I am happy for them. It happens quickly,” Evans said about the experience.
In the North Carolina area for the winter, Evans is working hard with some coaches as he perfects his mental edge. “I am training at a place called Athlete’s Lab. It is in Maiden, North Carolina. Grant Rembert owns it. He runs a top-notch program. All ages. From seven years old all the way to professional hitters. It is pretty cool what he is doing. I have been working with all those guys, and they have been helping me a ton. With the training process and getting my body right and all that,” Evans said.
He is also working out with a former coach in the Cal League who works with the Padres. “Greg Starbuck was in Lake Elsinore as my bench coach and lives around this area. We have been working a ton together with his son, Mac. They have been helping out, too,” Evans said. The Padres are keeping close tabs on Evans as they build muscle in the wiry right-handed hitter. He is on his way to a productive 2026 season in the Padres system.
Credit: Brandon Pollard/ EVT Sports
Getting that edge
Prospect lists are the new thing. Several outlets produce a top-30 prospect list for each organization. Zach Evans has not shown up on any of the well-known lists. We talked about that fact and how it made him feel. “Nothing too crazy, like I should be on there and they made a huge mistake kind of mindset. I try not to get super caught up in all of that. I’m grateful to see another day, wherever I am. The list, I don’t necessarily concern myself with too much,” Evans explained.
He did admit that it can help center a player and motivate to some extent. “It helps give a little edge. If you are playing a guy who is the top 30 or top 100 overall, you want to see what he’s got. How I match up to him type of thing. You compete, and you do what you do at the end of the day, and I am grateful to see another day,” Evans said. The game is all about competition. Ever since these men were young teenagers. There is always hype, but at the end of the day, it takes more than that on a winning ball club.
We talked about his stats and if he thought about them much. “Not too much. What helped me last year was the mindset I had. I am going to go in and not try to be someone I am not. I am not going to let the moment get super big. Just going to put my head down and take each day as it comes. There is always pressure in the game. Coming off your first year, you want to match or exceed your numbers. You want to do better than the year before,” Evans tells EVT.
His mind is wired for the present and the future. He only thinks about how he can help his team win now and in the next game. That’s just Zach Evans. “At the end of the day, I need to go out there and do what I should be doing and be consistent. That is my main goal,” Evans said.
Motivation is big for minor leaguers. I always love to ask what makes them tick. Grinding away through a 130-game season in the minors is not for the faint of heart. “I always think about the fact that there are a bunch of people in the world who would almost kill to be at the spot I am at right now. To do what you dream of as a little kid. I think this helps me stay motivated and push for my ultimate goal of being a big leaguer. That is what helps me show up every day,” Evans explains about motivation.
There is no selfishness in his play. His intent is always to put others first. That is what makes him go. “If I am not going 100 percent, then I am not doing myself, the people around me, the ones who took a chance on me, my family, or my fiancé, any justice. If I am not giving 100 percent, then why should they support me all the time? This helps me push through,” Evans said.
Coaching is in his future. You just get that feeling. To some degree, decades down the line, Zach Evans will be coaching somewhere. His love for the game is evident. His passion is for the sport. “I would love to (coach). Some people play their careers and have had enough of the game. I don’t know if I would ever get to that point. Whether it’s coaching or something in the game of baseball, I think I’ll be around it. I just can’t necessarily let it go when all is said and done. It’s been a huge part of my life. Ever since I can remember. I am definitely going to be in the game as much as I can when my career is over,” Evans said.
Goals for the 2026 season
In mid-February, Evans will report to Peoria for a prospects mini-camp before the season starts. He is excited. There is a lot to like about his future in the system. We spoke about goals and what he wanted to achieve in 2026. “The first goal is to remain consistent. I think if you stay consistent, your career will take you to where it allows you to,” Evans explains. That will always be his number one goal, as Evans wants to be reliable. His goal is to be consistent so that his teammates can depend on him each day.
Working out five or six days a week, Evans is putting on size and muscle. His frame is naturally wiry, and gaining weight was a problem for him in the past. The Padres have him on a program, and he is improving his size. That will help him in 2026 as he wore down late in the season. His goal is to add muscle and size now. “Being in the best spot I can be right now will give me the best chance during the year,” Evans said.
Another goal for the infielder is to drive the ball more effectively. “I want to get my slug up. I don’t look too much into numbers. But I want to see more balls off my bat with good flight. Putting them in the air and giving them a chance to leave the yard. Louder contact and start spraying the ball with that authority,” Evans explains to EVT. He is making adjustments with his swing and adding size. The power will come. They always say that it is the last thing to develop in a hitter.
Zach Evans is not a household name just yet. He is content with that fact. Evans knows there is still work to be done. But he is inspired to really make big strides this coming season. The infielder will likely start the year in Fort Wayne with the TinCaps. That is a difficult, cold environment to begin your baseball season in May. He has his work cut out for him. For Evans, these challenges are nothing. They are just part of the game. His focus remains on getting better each day and breaking out in 2026 for the Padres.
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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