A weakness of the system early in General Manager A.J. Preller’s tenure, left-handed starting pitching has not only become a strength for the Padres, it became currency as left-hander Logan Allen was included in the Franmil Reyes trade that landed top prospect Taylor Trammell.
The system was ready to replace Allen, too, with 2018 first-rounder Ryan Weathers fashioning a fast start to his full-season debut, Joey Cantillo having a breakout year and — last but not least — MacKenzie Gore emerging as the top southpaw prospect in the game.