'Hail Cesars' is Padres' rallying cry

Before the 2006 season began, MLB.com took an in-depth look at every big-league team's Minor League system. Now, it's time to recap all 30 organizations, from top prospects to the recent draft class.

While the Padres may not have the degree of upper-level ready-for-the-Majors prospects their National League West counterparts like the Diamondbacks and Dodgers do, things look especially bright at the lower levels. San Diego's bottom four teams finished over .500, with its short-season clubs significantly above that plateau, boding well for the future.

The Padres continue to bring in promising new blood through Latin American scouting as well as other less conventional methods, including significant scouring of the independent leagues that has netted some of their most intriguing players.

The club also has gone largely the polished college player route in its last two drafts. With the "Hail Cesar" combination of Cesar Carrillo out of Miami and Cesar Ramos from Long Beach State, along with third baseman Chase Headley in '05 and four of their top five picks in 2006 from the college ranks, an infusion to the Major League level could come quickly.

Five Faves

At the start of the season, MLB.com identified five prospects to keep an eye on. Here's how they fared in 2006:

Cesar Carrillo, RHP
The Padres' 2005 top pick, Carrillo signed quickly and was at Mobile by season's end. So it was no surprise there was speculation he could wind up in San Diego this summer. Instead, a sore forearm shut him down at midseason but not before he'd logged enough innings, mostly back at Mobile, to finish fifth in the organization with a 3.21 ERA. Southern League opponents hit just .239 against Carrillo, who walked only 15 in 50 2/3 innings. The injury did not require surgery, and with his makeup and intensity hopes are high for 2007.
Audio: Carrillo records three-pitch strikeout

Chase Headley, 3B
San Diego selected the Tennessee product in the second round in '05 after he led Division I in walks, so it's no surprise his plate patience and good eye are among his best attributes. A solid defensive third baseman, he has good offensive tools as well. The switch-hitter batted .292 at Lake Elsinore, 10th in the system, adding 12 homers and 73 RBIs.
Audio: Headley homers twice for Lake Elsinore

Matt Bush, SS
The No. 1 overall pick in 2004 has been battling injuries and other setbacks since the day he signed. Still just 20, he brought a .216 career average into the '06 campaign. And though he batted .268 with seven RBIs at Fort Wayne, those numbers came in only 21 games. He landed on the DL three times -- twice due to a broken leg and once with a pulled hamstring. He has good bat speed and potential but will really need to make a strong -- and healthy -- impression in '07 to remain a prospect.
Audio: Bush delivers first hit, RBI of 2006

2006 Organizational Record
LEVEL AAA AA A (Adv) A SS R	LEAGUE PCL SOU CAL MID NWL AZL	TEAM Portland Mobile Lake Elsinore Fort Wayne Eugene Padres TOTAL:	W 68 62 74 71 43 36 354	L 76 76 66 66 33 19 336	PCT .472 .449 .529 .518 .566 .655 .513

George Kottaras, C
In one of the more surprising deals around the trade deadline, the Padres sent Kottaras to Boston for pitcher David Wells. Kottaras had batted .276 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 78 games at Mobile and represented Canada at the Futures Game, then moved up to Portland, where he hit .210 in limited action. A good all-around player with defensive ability and decent power, this could be a swap the Padres come to regret.
Video: Kottaras comments on new team

Jared Wells, RHP
The California League Pitcher of the Year in 2005, when he led the loop with a 3.44 ERA, Wells moved up to Mobile and was the BayBears' top pitcher in 2006 with a 2.64 ERA over 61 innings in 12 starts. He made the Southern League All-Star Game but was promoted to Portland before the event. He struggled with his stuff and his confidence in the Pacific Coast League to the tune of a 2-9 record and 7.27 ERA. He also walked 46 while striking out 55 in 73 innings. A return to the Beavers' rotation should produce different results in 2007.
Audio: Wells ends sixth inning with strikeout

2006 Organizational Leaders
Average Home Runs RBIs Stolen Bases ERA Wins Strikeouts Saves	.314 32 113 23 3.08 13 134 34	Will Venable Jon Knott Jon Knott Yordany Ramirez Michael Ekstrom Josh Geer Sean Thompson Neil Jamison
Complete MiLB statistics

Cinderella Story

Yefri Carvajal, OF
The 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic remains one of the club's most exciting young players, with emphasis on young. He saw limited action in his stateside debut, hitting .253 with two homers, nine RBIs and two steals in 19 games in the Arizona League. The stocky 5-11, 220-pounder has an explosive bat and should be one to keep an eye on in 2007.

Breakout year

Some players were pegged as breakout candidates before the season began. Did they live up to expectations?

Ernesto Frieri, RHP
The Colombian-born right-hander led the Arizona League in 2005 with a 1.17 ERA. At 20, he moved through three levels, and though inconsistent, remains one to watch. He posted a 3.82 in 27 games at Eugene, collecting six saves and 39 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings; then, after one game at Fort Wayne, moved up to Lake Elsinore, where he logged six more innings.
Audio: Frieri closes game with a K

Fabian Jimenez Angulo, LHP
Angulo was dealt to the Chicago Cubs in July for veteran reliever Scott Williamson. The Colombian, who signed at 16, had been 5-7 with a 4.43 ERA in 17 starts at Fort Wayne at the time of the trade.

2006 draft recap

1. Matt Antonelli, 3B
The Wake Forest product was taken with the 17th overall pick and, after signing quickly, headed to Eugene, where he hit .286 with 22 RBIs and nine steals. He finished second (to teammate Chad Huffman) in the Northwest League with a .426 on-base percentage before moving up for a week to Fort Wayne, where he hit .125. He is a versatile player with great plate patience whose future may be at another position.
Video: Padres executive Grady Fuson on Antonelli

2. Chad Huffman, 2B
The younger brother of Houston Astros farmhand Royce Huffman, Chad was the Padres' second-round pick out of TCU. He hit .343 with nine homers and 40 RBIs at Eugene, leading the Northwest League in on-base percentage (.439) and finishing second in batting. He joined Antonelli for the final week at Fort Wayne and hit .214. Huffman has power potential and could move to third or the outfield down the road.
Audio: Huffman homers for Eugene

3. Wade LeBlanc, LHP
The Padres' second second-round pick out of Alabama, the southpaw barely touches 90 with his fastball but has a big, slow curveball that baffled hitters for a 2.20 ERA in seven starts at Fort Wayne after a brief start at Eugene.

4. Cedric Hunter, CF
The lone high school pick among the Padres' top five, he may be the best pure athlete and certainly had an outstanding debut. Hunter hit .371 in the Arizona League, finishing second in the batting race and third with 44 RBIs to go with 17 steals. His .467 on-base percentage also ranked second as were his 46 runs scored.

5. Nathaniel Culp, LHP
A fourth-rounder out of Missouri, the southpaw replaced first-rounder Max Scherzer in the rotation when the latter was injured. His below-average fastball is more than offset by good breaking stuff and excellent command. At Eugene, he posted a 1.50 ERA in six games before moving up to Fort Wayne, where he was 4-2 with a 4.09 ERA.
Audio: Culp tosses six strong innings

2005 draft recap

1. Cesar Carrillo, RHP
Carrillo saw his 2005 pro debut end early due to fatigue and his '06 summer curtailed by a sore forearm. Once healthy, the Miami product is expected to cruise through the ranks with his mid-90s fastball and mound confidence and polish.

2. Cesar Ramos, LHP
The "other" Cesar finished second in the California League with a 3.70 ERA at Lake Elsinore, despite hitting the wall in August to the tune of an 8.27 ERA in four starts. He kept his ERA under 3.00 from May through July.

3. Chase Headley, 3B
After hitting .264 in his pro debut in 2005 at Eugene, the former Tennessee cornerman improved his stats across the board at Lake Elsinore, despite virtually skipping a level. He has extra-base pop and great plate discipline.