South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 38: Nicholas Padilla

Nicholas Padilla

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´2´´
220 pounds
Age: 26
2022 High Level Chicago Cubs (“MLB”)
Age relative to high level -4.2 years
SSS rank among all right-handed relief pitchers in the system 5
Overall 2022 MiLB stats 3-1 ⚾️ 39 games (19 finishes) ⚾️ 4 SV ⚾️ 53 IP ⚾️ 2.21 ERA ⚾️ 1.189 WHIP ⚾️ 66 K ⚾️ 31 BB

The White Sox claimed righthander Nicholas Padilla off of waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 2022, and promptly optioned him to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, where he stayed for the remainder of the season. In 2020, the Cubs acquired him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft from the Tampa Bay Rays, who initially had drafted him in the 13th round in 2015 out of Grayson County College in Texas.

Padilla only pitched four games out of the pen in his single college season, as he suffered an injury and had to undergo Tommy John surgery. In his brief stint with the Vikings, he went 1-1 with a 1.90 ERA and 18 strikeouts for a 6.85 K/9 in 23 2⁄3 innings.

After being drafted by Tampa Bay, Padilla spent the remainder of 2015 rehabbing his shoulder, and beginning in 2016, he spent the next five seasons between Rookie, Low-A, and A-Ball. Then he was left unprotected by the Rays in 2020, and the Cubs snagged him.

Padilla did not pitch much at all in 2021, as he again struggled with some injury issues. He appeared in only two games with a 16.20 ERA and two strikeouts in 1 2⁄3 innings. Returning healthy in 2022, Padilla finally started working his way up through the Cubs system. He began the season with High-A South Bend, then jumped to Double-A, where he helped pitch a combined no-hitter for the Tennessee Smokies.

On July 22, he finally landed at Triple-A Iowa. In 10 appearances there, he went 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA and a 1.091 WHIP in 14 2⁄3 innings with a K/9 of 10.4.

After a strong showing in Iowa, Padilla made his major league debut in Chicago on Aug. 23, 2022, during a 13-3 doubleheader loss against the St. Louis Cardinals. As the 27th man, he pitched 1 2⁄3 innings, surrendering one run on two hits with two walks and one strikeout, resulting in a 5.40 ERA. The Cubs sent him back down to Iowa the next day, and he remained there until September 6, when he was DFA’d.

A few days later, the White Sox picked him up, and sent him to Charlotte. He pitched well for the Knights, going 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.333 WHIP in six innings, with a K/9 of 9.0.

Padilla suited up to represent Puerto Rico in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico finished as the runner-up in both the 2013 and 2017 championships.

Padilla’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Strikeouts 63
vs. Power 61
Hittable 61
K/BB 56
Walks 48
Durability 48
Team Winning Percentage .559

Padilla was cut from major-league camp during the WBC (harsh), so he’ll be starting the year back in Charlotte. However, depending on how the final roster shakes out, the righty could very easily be the first arm called up to Chicago.

2023 South Side Sox Top 101 White Sox Prospects

38. Nicholas Padilla, RHRP
39. Dylan Burns, RHSP
40. Gil Luna Jr., LHRP
41. Eric Adler, RHRP
42. Garrett Schoenle, LHSP
43. Lane Ramsey, RHRP
44. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
45. Hunter Dollander, RHSP
46. Chase Solesky, RHSP
47. Godwin Bennett, RF
48. Wilber Sánchez, SS
49. Tyler Neslony, LF
50. Mario Camilletti, 2B
51. Sammy Peralta, LHRP
52. Jacob Burke, CF
53. Moisés Castillo, SS
54. Victor Quezada, 3B
55. Edgar Navarro, RHRP
56. Craig Dedelow, RF
57. Darío Borrero, 1B
58. Michael Turner, C
59. Tyler Osik, 1B
60. Haylen Green, LHRP
61. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
62. Terrell Tatum, LF
63. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
64. Randel Mondesí, LF
65. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
66. Declan Cronin, RHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Colby Smelley, C
69. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
70. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
71. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
72. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
73. James Beard, CF
74. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
75. Ronny Hernandez, C
76. Troy Claunch, C
77. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
78. Tim Elko, 1B
79. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
80. Trey Jeans, LHRP
81. Jerry Burke, RHSP
82. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
83. Mason Adams, RHSP
84. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
85. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
86. Laz Rivera, 3B
87. Xavier Fernández, C
88. Álvaro Agüero, CF
89. Ben Norman, RF
90. Erick Bello, RHRP
91. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
92. Arnold Prado, RF
93. Alsander Womack, 2B
94. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
95. Evan Skoug, C
96. Noah Owen, RHSP
97. Javier Mora, 2B
98. Will Kincanon, RHRP
99. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
100. Billy Seidl, RHRP
101. José Rodulfo, RHRP