The Padres’ 2026 farm review found Fort Wayne last in the Midwest League East at 56-74; Triple-A El Paso finished 30 games below .500 amid roster churn. Alex McCoy hit .268 with 15 homers and 55 RBIs for Fort Wayne, then batted .314 in 25 San Antonio games.
The review says Fort Wayne’s offense appeared to suffer after Jake Cunningham’s promotion to San Antonio. He hit .301/.370/.459 with 13 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs in 39 games there before an injury sidelined him. San Antonio outfielder Braedon Karpathios tied Tirso Ornelas for the team lead with 17 home runs and had 73 RBIs, but struck out 162 times in 510 plate appearances. MLB.com-listed Padres No. 6 prospect Bryan Balzer made 21 starts across two A-levels, posting a 4.74 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 98⅔ innings.
El Paso’s roster shifted throughout the year as players moved up or down, were released or signed, and the club hosted rehabbing major leaguers. Catcher Ethan Salas spent 17 games there before his promotion to the Padres; the review says the stint gave him exposure to the ABS system. The Padres are sending five pitchers and three position players to the Peoria Javelinas for the Arizona Fall League, which runs Oct. 3 through Nov. 4.
