Padres minors: Lamar King Jr. paces Storm, Saturday scores, system leaders

Padres prospect Lamar King began 2025 at low Single-A Lake Elsinore (Artur Ivanov/Lake Elsinore Storm)

By Jeff Sanders | [email protected] | The San Diego Union-Tribune

PUBLISHED: June 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT

Lamar King Jr. collected three more hits and low Single-A Lake Elsinore beat visiting Stockton 6-1 on Saturday night.

King hit his 11th double while playing all nine innings at first base. He also swiped his fourth base.

He is hitting .250/.326/.397 with four homers. He has played 13 games this year at first base and 24 at catcher as he looks to log his first full season.

The 21-year-old King was drafted in the fourth round in 2022 but has been slowed by various injuries.

Second baseman Yendry Rojas (.613 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and run scored. He stole his seventh base.

Right fielder B.Y. Choi (.604 OPS) drove in two runs on two hits.

Designated hitter Kavares Tears (.847 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a walk.

Right-hander Abraham Parra (1-1, 6.10 EA) allowed one run on one hit and one walk in five innings in the win. He struck out two.

The Storm 23-27.

Saturday’s scoreboard

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (28-28)

Sacramento 8, Chihuahuas 1: LHP Omar Cruz (2.66 ERA) struck out six over four shutout innings, scattering two hits, a walk and a hit batter in the start. LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (0-1, 6.48 ERA) allowed two runs in one-third of an inning and RHP Jared Kollar (8.52 ERA) allowed six runs in 2⅔ innings. SS Clay Dungan (.750 OPS) led off the game with his third homer of the season. 1B Trenton Brooks (.936 OPS) went 2-for-4 and 3B Mike Brosseau (.677 OPS) went 1-for-4 with a double.

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (27-23)

Arkansas 3, Missions 2 (10): 2B Marcos Castañon (.846 OPS) went 1-for-4 with his sixth homer, the Missions’ only extra-base hit. RHP Braden Nett (4.42 ERA) struck out four and allowed two runs — one earned — in 2⅔ innings in the start. He walked four and allowed two this, including a homer.

HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (25-25)

TinCaps 6, Great Lakes 2: RHP Josh Mallitz (3-1, 5.28 ERA) earned the win with 2⅓ scoreless innings in relief after RHP Isaiah Lowe (6.07 ERA) allowed two runs in 4⅔ innings in the start. RHPs Garrett Hawkins (2.78 ERA) and Tyson Neighbors (1.35 ERA) both turned in a scoreless frame. C Oswaldo Linares (.589 OPS) went 1-for-2 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored. 2B Brandon Butterworth (.786 OPS) went 1-for-3 with two walks and his eighth steal. SS Leo De Vries (.789 OPS) went 1-for-5 with an RBI.

ROOKIE ACL PADRES (5-17)

Royals 13, Padres 4: LF Eguy Rosario (.565 OPS) went 1-for-4 with a double. 2B Luis De Leon (.729 OPS), 1B Kevin Hacen and SS Emil Turbi (.535 OPS) all had two hits. RHP Ruben Galindo (0-1, 20.25 ERA) allowed three runs in one-third of an inning in the start.

Around the farm

El Paso (AAA): LHP Jackson Wolf, 26, has a 26-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20 2/3 innings (3.48 ERA) since moving to the Pacific Coast League. Wolf began the season with 31 strikeouts and three walks in 25 innings (3.24 ERA) in the Texas League.

San Antonio (AA): 1B Romeo Sanabria, an 18th-round pick in 2022, entered Saturday leading the Texas League with a .333 batting average. He also ranks sixth in slugging (.503) and third in OPS (.884).

Fort Wayne (A+): RHP Tyson Neighbors entered the weekend with the eighth-best strikeout rate (46.1%) in minor league baseball. A fourth-round pick last year, Neighbors has four saves and a 35-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 innings (1.42 ERA).

Lake Elsinore (A): 1B Victor Figueroa has three homers since ing the Storm and eight homers in his first 21 games as a pro, just two off the organization lead. The 21-year-old is hitting .429/.500/.896 with 25 RBIs.

ACL Padres (R): RHP Cole Paplham has allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings across four rehab appearances in the Arizona Complex League, his first action since taking a ball off his face in Cactus League action.

DSL Padres (R): The Dominican Summer League will start on Monday. The Padres will again field two teams, the DSL Padres Brown and the DSL Padres Gold.