{"id":199571,"date":"2025-09-04T12:53:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/199571\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T12:53:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:53:08","slug":"capping-kash-mayfields-first-season-with-the-storm-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/199571\/","title":{"rendered":"Capping Kash Mayfield\u2019s first season with the Storm \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kash Mayfield<\/strong> did not end his season on a high note.<\/p>\n

He is still leaving his first year of pro ball with plenty to build on.<\/p>\n

The 20-year-old left-hander finished made his final start Wednesday, throwing 42 pitches (24 strikes) while allowing three runs \u2014 two earned \u2014 to start low Single-A Lake Elsinore\u2019s 13-4 loss<\/a> at Inland Empire. The effort lifted his final ERA ever so slightly to 2.97 as the Padres\u2019 2024 first-rounder had been on a roll since shoulder inflammation sidelined him for about three weeks early in the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a little wakeup call,\u201d Mayfield said while visiting Petco Park on Monday with a handful of Storm teammates during their last off-day of the season. \u201cI got that situated and have been feeling great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The flare-up indeed forced Mayfield to double down on the consistency of his arm care and recovery as he waded through his first year as a professional pitcher. He had a 4.87 ERA through his first 20 \u2153 innings with Lake Elsinore, returned from the injured list on June 4 and finished the season with a 2.01 ERA over his final 40\u2153 innings.<\/p>\n

All told, Mayfield went 1-5 with a 2.97 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 28 walks in 60\u2154 innings. He held opposing hitters to a .207 batting average and set his initial career bests at five innings (5X) and nine strikeouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I\u2019ve learned to do really well \u2026 is my command has come a long way,\u201d Mayfield said. \u201cImproved the changeup and slider. Fastball command, changeup command, slider command have all been there. That\u2019s been a big part of my success this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s why he was able to thrive despite his fastball velocity dipping from 94 to 97 mph his last year of high school to 89-94 mph this season, he said. Learning how to pitch on the regular was a real part of his first professional season, as he discovered while briefly on the injured list in May, and it\u2019s something he believes he\u2019s prepared to tackle this offseason.<\/p>\n

The plan?<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably just keeping my body healthy, keeping my arm in shape,\u201d Mayfield said. \u201cGaining weight, getting stronger, improving my pitches. Probably getting some of the velo back that I had in high school. This season was one to get used to (pitching as a professional).\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s happy to still be doing it with the Padres, too.<\/p>\n

After all, a number of his Storm friends were shipped out at the trade deadline. In fact, he and 2024 second-rounder Boston Bateman<\/strong> visited Petco Park together days before Bateman ultimately headlined the package that reeled in Ram\u00f3n Laureano<\/strong> and Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/strong> from the Orioles.<\/p>\n

The first two picks from the 2024 draft and fellow left-handers, Mayfield and Bateman had grown close enough that Mayfield said was still planning to work in a visit to his friend in Camarillo this offseason<\/p>\n

\u201cVery stressful,\u201d Mayfield said of the trade deadline. \u201cI was sitting there looking at my phone, trying to see if something was going to happen. I\u2019m really glad I got to stay with this organization. I freaking love these guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally love building with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s scoreboard<\/p>\n

TRIPLE-A EL PASO (71-62)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sacramento 7, Chihuahuas 3:<\/a> LHP Jackson Wolf<\/strong> (6-3, 5.68 ERA) allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks in 3\u2154 innings in the loss. LF Tim Locastro<\/strong> (.803 OPS) went 2-for-4 and his 27th steal and a run scored. 1B Nate Mondou<\/strong> (.820 OPS) hit his fourth triple and SS Ripken Reyes<\/strong> (.776 OPS) hit his seventh double.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (60-67)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Corpus Christi 7, Missions 1:<\/a> LHP Jagger Haynes<\/strong> (4.13 ERA) struck out three over three no-hit innings in the start. He walked two. RHP Jared Kollar<\/strong> (2-8, 5.64 ERA) allowed seven runs in three innings. San Antonio\u2019s only hit was a home run from C Anthony Vilar<\/strong> (.658 OPS).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (55-72)<\/strong><\/p>\n

W.Michigan 8, TinCaps 4:<\/a> RHP Clark Candiotti <\/strong>(1-7, 5.77 ERA) allowed six runs \u2014 four earned \u2014 on five hits and two walks in 1\u2154 innings in the loss. RF Jack Costello<\/strong> (.643 OPS) went 2-for-5 with his 10th homer. C Lamar King Jr.<\/strong> (.597 OPS) went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and a run scored.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

LOW SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (56-72)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Inland Empire 13, Storm 4:<\/a> Mayfield allowed four of the 17 hits surrendered by six pitchers, the last being INF Justin DeCriscio<\/strong>. SS Jorge Quintana<\/strong> (.584 OPS) hit his first homer and LF Alex McCoy<\/strong> (.905 OPS) drove in two runs on two hits, including his sixth homer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kash Mayfield did not end his season on a high note. He is still leaving his first year…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":199572,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,1370,1266,3549,1306,7264,62,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-199571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-latest-headlines","12":"tag-mlb","13":"tag-san-diego","14":"tag-san-diego-padres","15":"tag-sandiego","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115146130229078222","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=199571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/199571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/199572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=199571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=199571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=199571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}