The San Diego Padres have several prospects eligible for the Rule 5 draft that takes place during the Winter Meetings in December. Tuesday was the deadline for adding eligible players to the roster to protect them from the draft.
The goal is to shield the players that the organization feels could be claimed and stick with the team that claims them. They would have to stay on the major league roster for the entirety of the 2026 season for the team to be able to keep them. Most of the eligible players are not major league ready, but the few that have a chance of making a major league roster have to be protected or possibly lost.
The Padres had 15 players that are Rule 5 eligible in December, but chose to protect only RHP Miguel Mendez and RHRP Garrett Hawkins. Both will be in Peoria for Spring Training and get a shot at making the roster for 2026. Following is a review of each player and their chance of making the Padres in 2026.
Miguel Mendez
Right-handed starter Miguel Mendez finished the 2025 season with Double-A San Antonio, but played most of the season with High-A Fort Wayne. Mendez went 7-3 with a 1.32 ERA in 12 starts with the Missions. Hitters only managed a .180 average off him, and he had a 28.6% K-rate. He has a triple-digit fastball that sits 96-97, an upper 80’s slider and a good changeup. He is 6-2 and 165 pounds with lots of room to add to his frame at 23 years old.
He finished 2025 with a 3.22 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched across three levels.
He will get a good look during the spring and has a chance of being available for a call-up later in the season after starting the year in San Antonio. He could also be a trade piece if general manager A.J. Preller needs trade chips.
Garrett Hawkins
Right-handed reliever Garrett Hawkins returned from Tommy John surgery in 2025. He had a slow start through April while pitching in High-A Fort Wayne. After April 23, no one scored on him with the TinCaps and Hawkins went 34 straight scoreless innings until his promotion to Double-A San Antonio on Aug. 1.
During those 34 scoreless innings, Hawkins had 46 strikeouts to five walks and 10 hits. He finished in Fort Wayne with a 1.43 ERA and 37% K-rate in 44 innings.
In 2025, across his two levels, Hawkins had a 1.50 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. He was a starter before his surgery, but his last start was in 2023.
Hawkins now throws a fastball up to 98 mph with a low-80’s sweeper. At 25 years old and 6-5, 230 pounds, the right-hander has a good chance of pitching with the Padres during the 2026 season. He could be the first reliever added when reinforcements are needed during the season. Due to the deep and dominant bullpen that the Padres already have, Hawkins will only make the team out of Spring Training if the Padres need to add a reliever. He has closer stuff and should benefit from working with Ruben Niebla this spring.
Players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December
Most of the players eligible for the Rule 5 draft are not major league ready and should not be at risk come December and the draft. Following are the most advanced of the remaining eligible minor league players in the Padres organization:
LHP Jagger Haynes
RHP Francis Pena
RHP Victor Lizarraga
1B Romeo Sanabria
OF Braedon Karpathios
IF Marcos Castañon
