By Bill Center

Ryan Weathers

Starting with Ryan Weathers, three of the Padres first seven picks in last June’s draft were pitchers who quickly made their debuts at the lower echelons of the Padres’ farm system.

Left-handed starter Weathers and right-handed reliever Dylan Coleman immediately were ranked among the Padres’ top 30 prospects and each finished the season with Single-A Fort Wayne. Left-handed starter Alexuan Vega spent his entire first professional summer in the Arizona Rookie League.

A closer look at the first three pitchers taken by the Padres in the 2018 Draft by order of their selection:

— Ryan Weathers was the Padres’ first-round pick in the 2018 Draft and the seventh overall selection. He is currently ranked the Padres’ №9 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

The son of former Major League pitcher David Weathers, Ryan was drafted out of Loretto (Tenn.) High. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Weathers turned 19 on Dec. 17.

Ryan Weathers was named the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year for the 2018 season. He posted a 10–0 record and a 0.09 earned run average for Loretto High with 148 strikeouts in 76 innings — or 17 ½ per nine innings. In his last two high school seasons, Weathers was 18–0 with a 0.10 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 125 innings — or 18.65 strikeouts per nine innings.

Then 18-year-old Weathers made his professional debut in the Arizona Rookie League and had a 3.86 ERA, a 1.179 WHIP and a .211 opponents’ batting average in four starts. He completed his first professional season with three starts at Fort Wayne where he had a 3.00 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP over nine innings.

Weathers worked a total of 18 1/3 innings in seven starts in his first pro summer with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and a .247 opponents’ batting average. He had 18 strikeouts against four walks while allowing 19 hits.

— Dylan Coleman made 18 relief appearances in his first pro season between Short-Season Single-A Tri-City and Fort Wayne.

The 22-year-old Coleman was the Padres’ fourth-round pick out of Missouri State University. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander is a native of Potosi, Mo., and played at Potosi High. He is ranked the Padres’ №26 prospect.

Coleman was promoted to Fort Wayne after just five games with the Dust Devils in the Northwest League. With the TinCaps, Coleman had a 3.24 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and a .226 opponents’ batting average for the TinCaps with 22 strikeouts in just 16 2/3 innings — or 11.9 per nine innings.

Overall, Coleman had a 3.18 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP and a 238 opponents’ batting average in 2018 with 29 strikeouts (11.5 per nine innings) against 11 walks and 20 hits in 22 2/3 innings.

— Alexuan Vega was selected with the Padres’ sixth-round pick out of Leonides Morales High in Lajas, Puerto Rico. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Vega is 19 years old.

Vega spent his first professional summer in the Arizona Rookie League, where he made seven appearances (six starts). Vega had a 10.80 ERA, a 2.00 WHIP and a .283 opponents’ batting average in 15 innings. He struggled a bit with command, issuing 13 walks with 13 strikeouts in 15 innings.