Jorge Ona

Ona was signed as a 19-year-old out of Cuba in 2016, getting $7 million of the Padres' international pool money. The 6-foot outfielder is an impressive physical specimen, best suited for a corner spot with the arm to handle right field. After a poor 2017 campaign with High-A Lake Elsinore, Ona opened 2019 at Double-A Amarillo where he was crushing, posting a .348/.417/.539 slash through 25 games. However, his campaign was cut short as a sore throwing shoulder required season-ending labrum surgery. Despite a deep farm system, San Diego placed Ona on the 40-man. Improved pitch selection was cited as a primary reason for protecting him. Look for Ona to return to the Sod Poodles to begin 2020 with a likely advancement to Triple-A El Paso once he shows he's fully healthy. He likely won't be called up this season but has a chance to be part of the Padres' future.

It's extremely difficult to evaluate an international signee's first year in pro ball, especially when that prospect signed when he was 19. Ona, a 6-foot, 220-pound Cuban, was 15 percent better than an average hitter in the Midwest League, but with only 11 home runs and a .128 ISO, it seemed like he came up shy of expectations. He has a right field profile, and was expected to bring plus right-handed power to the table. While he does have plus raw power, his aggressive approach muted that pop somewhat, as he failed to get into hitter's counts. His .277 average seems like the high end of what we can reasonably expect, as he rarely uses the opposite field and his .357 BABIP was the sixth highest mark in the league. He stole eight bases on 10 attempts, but is a below-average runner, so at best he will be a four-category contributor. While he failed to improve his stock in Year 1, it's advisable to be patient with Ona in deeper leagues, as he should put up better power numbers in the California League.

Ona is the rare international free agent signing who has loud offensive tools and is not at least five or six years away from the big leagues. He was 19 when the Padres inked him to a $7 million bonus, but the Cuban corner outfielder will be 20 when he debuts, likely at Low-A Fort Wayne or High-A Lake Elsinore. General manager A.J. Preller compared Ona's compact, muscular 6-foot-2 frame to that of Albert Belle. While he didn't go as far as to compare Ona to Belle from a talent standpoint, that's the general skill set the Padres are hoping for -- big right-handed power with a 55- or 60-grade hit tool. He might be an average runner now, but speed won't be a part of his game by the time he reaches the majors. Unfortunately, Ona hasn't played much non-showcase baseball since defecting, so it is hard to say how quickly he will acclimate to game action, but he has the potential to move relatively quickly.