Matthew Batten

Batten struggled in his first taste of the majors last season, going 2-for-19 with six strikeouts. That he reached the big leagues at all is an impressive accomplishment given that he was a 32nd-round draft pick in 2017. Batten's path to the Padres has been paved by positional versatility (aside from catcher, he's played every position -- including pitcher -- in the minors) and steady improvement at the plate. Last season, he posted a career-best .840 OPS with Triple-A El Paso and demonstrated a hint of power for the first time as a pro, slugging 12 homers in 378 plate appearances. There's no expectation that he'll hit for much power in the majors, but he can be a useful depth piece if he's able to hit to the gaps and maintain the double-digit walk rate he has consistently posted in the minors. Batten has also blossomed on the basepaths at Triple-A over the past two seasons, swiping 45 bags in 52 attempts. There's little chance that he'll be able to break into San Diego's loaded lineup and find everyday at-bats, but he could fill a valuable role as a super-utility player and pinch runner. Read Past Outlooks