Padres News: Former Friars Prospects Reflect on Facing Old Team

What could've been

Your San Diego Padres are on the road for a nine-game East Coast road trip, and it all started off in the Padres superstar Juan Soto's old stomping grounds. Padres started their road trip against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, where they grabbed the win, 7-4, thanks in part to the old National. 

Soto made his presence felt in his second time in Washington as an opponent going 3-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. This is why the 24-year-old superstar was brought to San Diego, because of his talent and ability to bring San Diego their first World Series title. However, it wasn't cheap to get Soto last summer. The Friars went big game hunting as they made a blockbuster trade for the lefty slugger that also brought them infielder Josh Bell and sent out six players, including young prospect C.J. Abrams and Southpaw MacKenzie Gore. 

Tuesday was the first time these former Padre prospects faced their former team, as Gore was on the hill for the Nationals. After the game, Gore spoke to Padres insider Kevin Acee and said he had fun facing the team that drafted him. 

“It was fun,” Gore said. “They’re good. They had good at-bats. … This wasn’t about me. This was about trying to come in here and win a game. But it was fun. When you know guys, it is fun to compete against them.”

The 24-year-old got roughed up a bit as he went 4.2 innings, allowed seven hits, three earned runs, four walks, five strikeouts, and two home runs in 103 pitches. Overall, the former 2017 number three overall pick has had a tough transition to a bad MLB team.

Abrams, the former San Diego 2019 number six overall pick, also had his first crack at his former team this season. The 22-year-old kept it short and sweet and said it was fun seeing his old teammates. 

“It was fun playing against former teammates and friends,” Abrams said.

Before getting traded, he played in 46 games in the brown and gold, where he slashed .232/.285/.320 while hitting two homers and 11 RBIs in 125 ABs. 

Young prospects are cool, but give me a superstar who is ready to take us to the promise land right now. That's the nature of the business, but nonetheless, we wish our former prospects the best in their MLB journeys.