The Padres changed things up for the 2013 draft.
For the 2013 draft Josh Byrnes and his staff were settled in. Director of scouting Jaron Madison left to join the Chicago Cubs, but his replacement, Billy Gasparino, came from within the Padres organization. So the turnover was kept to a minimum, especially compared to the previous year. Perhaps the new staff, with a full year under their belts to implement their scouting protocols, had a different way of doing things or perhaps the staff realized they need to change course a bit because the 2013 draft was very different from the previous 2. The previous two seemed to focus a lot on high upside pitching and would dabble with some position players that were athletic, but lacking in power. The 2013 draft seemed to flip the script.
With the Padres' first pick, the 13th overall, the team selected a genuine certified slugger. They took Mississippi State star Hunter Renfroe. Renfroe isn't the most complete hitter, but he knows how to give the ball a ride. He also isn't a speedy athletic CF like the Padres had been draft, but itstead was a rocket armed right field prospect. The team's minor league system sorely needed a talented hitter like Renfroe so his acquisition was a sight for sore eyes. He should rank as one of the Padres' top prospects for the next couple years.
The Padres would continue to add to their hitting prospect portfolio by drafting Arizona HS 3B Dustin Peterson in the 2nd round. Peterson's brother was a first rounder in the same draft out of college, but the Padres were happy enough to get his younger brother who they could develop on their own. Peterson did play SS in high school, but again this isn't a player who is more of an athlete than an actual hitter. Peterson is athletic, but his bat is the real deal and should develop nicely. In the 3rd round the Padres took another HS hitter in CF Jordan Paroubeck. Paroubeck's career with the Padres has been spent rehabbing so far, but scouts like the potential his bat brings as well.
The rest of the draft is difficult to talk about since the amount of professional baseball they have played so far is limited. It is worth noting that the club didn't entirely resist pitching. In the 3rd round they got Hofstra RHP Bryan Verbitsky who has the stuff to be a starter, but is working through control issues. In the 6th round University of Kentucky RHP Trevor Gott was selected by the Padres who have used him almost exclusively as a closer. He is currently finishing off games for Lake Elsinore and could be on a fast track. 8th rounder Adrian De Horta starts for Fort Wayne even though he is one of the youngest players from the 2013 draft. 9th rounder Adam Cimber, like Gott, is pitching relief for the Storm and doing well. 16th rounder Payton Baskette, 29th rounder Kyle Lloyd and 38th rounder Pete Kelich are all in the TinCaps' starting rotation with De Horta.
Finally, there are a couple of other promising hitters to note. 5th rounder Josh Van Meter has gotten love from scouts for his glove and some like his bat enough that they think it'll play some in the majors some day. 7th rounder Jake Bauers struggled to find the pop in his bat last season, but this year is a key contributor to the TinCaps' lineup. 22nd rounder Chase Jensen is also getting playing time for the TinCaps. Most of the other players from this draft are still working on their skills in instructional league back in Peoria. We will know more about all of them at the end of the season when they have played for the Eugene Emeralds or join another team.
It is difficult to compare this draft to the previous ones because of a major rule change. Teams could no longer collect supplemental 1st round picks by letting free agents go, so the Padres could not load up on higher upside players early in the draft like they did in 2011 and 2012. Instead most of the franchise's farm system stocking of higher upside players could only come from the first couple of picks. In that regard, it seems the Padres did quite well. So far.
Here is the rest of the drafted Padres from 2013: