The San Diego Padres topped the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a trip to the NLCS in an exciting season. The Padres ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, although there is a ton of excitement in San Diego once again. Xander Bogaerts signed a massive deal, Manny Machado inked a long extension, and Fernando Tatis Jr. is returning this season as they sport one of the best lineups in all of the MLB.

With Spring Training here, let's examine three prospects to watch for the Padres, and the farm system looks quite different after they traded away a flurry of players in the Juan Soto blockbuster.

3: Luis Campusano, Catcher

Luis Campusano has survived the Padres farm system exodus over and over. His name always pops up on the trade market, but he is still with the team, for now, although that can change any day with A Preller's aggressiveness. With Jorge Alfaro leaving San Diego, this could be the year where Campusano sees a bulk load of work with the MLB team. His offensive skills are unquestionable, but his game-calling and defensive abilities behind the dish have always been the bigger issue. Campusano played sparingly at the big-league level last year but played 81 games in AAA< hitting for a .298 average with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs.

2: Jay Groome, Pitcher

As part of the busy MLB Trade Deadline, the Padres got rid of Eric Hosmer by trading him to the Boston Red Sox and landed Jay Groome in the process. Groome's resume is quite interesting. He was drafted 12th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft and has bounced around the minor leagues ever since, failing to make his MLB debut. Groome went 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA in El Paso for the Padres' AAA club and 7-7 combined between the padres and Red Sox farm systems.

The southpaw had a ton of hype coming into the MLB Draft, and there's a reason he was the 12th pick in 2016. Now, in a new environment, maybe Groome can turn things around and become another quality pitching prospect for San Diego. Groome had his Spring Training debut for San Diego on February 24, throwing 1.2 innings with a pair of hits, a walk, and a pair of strikeouts.

1) Jackson Merill, Shortstop

There is no question who the top guy to watch is: It's Jackson Merrill. He turns 20 in April and was selected 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. The Washington Nationals and other teams kicked the tires on landing Merrill, but the Padres repeatedly refused — and for good reason. In 2022, Merrill spent time in Rookie Ball and then moved to single-A Lake Elsinore. He spent the majority of the year with the Storm, playing in 45 games and hitting five home runs with 34 RBIs and a .325 batting average.

His defensive ability needs to improve, and that's a major reason why he slipped a bit in the MLB Draft. Nonetheless, there is a ton to love about Merrill, and he began his Spring Training with a 3-for-3 line and a run scored.