Padres' Gore storming into Cal League

The big league arrivals of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Chris Paddack give Padres fans good reason to flock to Petco Park this summer. But the drive north to Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore is shaping up to be a worthwhile pilgrimage with two top-50 prospects on the roster.
The Storm revealed their roster Monday and it includes MacKenzie Gore, MLB.com's 15th-ranked overall prospect, and Luis Patiño, the No. 47 prospect in the game. Five other ranked Padres prospects will be on the team.

As detailed in MiLB.com's Padres Prospect Primer, Gore remains one of the most promising pitchers in the sport despite a 2018 campaign derailed by blisters on his throwing hand. After being taken with the third overall pick in the 2017 Draft, San Diego's No. 2 prospect used an arsenal of four plus pitches to dominate in his first taste of the pros, striking out 34 and posting 1.27 ERA in 21 1/3 innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2017. Gore still missed bats in his first full season -- striking out 74 hitters in 60 2/3 innings before being shut down in August -- but his ERA ballooned to 4.45 in those 16 starts.

Gore will be combining efforts at the top of the Lake Elsinore rotation with the sixth-ranked Padres prospect. In 83 1/3 innings for Class A Fort Wayne last season, Colombian right-hander Patino went 6-3 with a 2.16 ERA, 98 strikeouts and just 24 walks.
Other top prospects in the Storm lineup include San Diego's No. 18 prospect Luis Campusano, who comes off an All-Star season in the Midwest League and should get to know Gore and Patino pretty well behind the plate. The double-play combo of shortstop Gabriel Arias (No. 25) and second baseman Esteury Ruiz (No. 27) will man the middle infield, while 16th-ranked Tirso Ornelas and No. 22 prospect Jeisson Rosario will roam the outfield.
The first chance to see the Padres' top-30 talent in the California League will be the Storm's home opener on April 11.