Manuel Margot owns soft facial features, was nicknamed “El Baby” early in his professional career and, in a new clubhouse of more experienced players, has kept a low profile.

On the field, however, the Padres’ No. 1 prospect has been conspicuous and, at times, seemingly two places at once.

Acquired from Boston in November, Margot is in a big-league camp for the third consecutive spring, his first with San Diego. It did not take long for him to stand out in camp, but one particular moment has remained with manager Andy Green.

In a Cactus League game last week, Margot was playing center field when a ball was hit into the right-field corner.


“It was going to be impossible to get over and back that play up, so he tried to make himself useful,” Green recalled Tuesday. “If there’s a need, see the need, fill the need, and that’s what Manny did.”

As the opposing batter sped toward second base, Margot, rushing in from the outfield, intercepted him at the bag.

“He tried to slap the tag down, and it was just a hair too late,” Green said. “He almost got us an out.

“It’s just good to see that wherewithal in a young guy.”


Margot, who turned 21 on Sept. 28, is not expected to arrive in the majors until, at the earliest, shortly before his next birthday. But the flashes he has shown around the Peoria Sports Complex and in early spring exhibitions — through Monday, he was 3-for-9 with a double, a triple and three RBIs — suggest he could be an impact, major league contributor as soon as 2017.

That’s what the Padres sought when they dealt Craig Kimbrel, one of the game’s best closers, for Margot, shortstop prospect Javier Guerra, infielder Carlos Asuaje and teenage left-hander Logan Allen. In time, Guerra might become the Padres’ top farm asset — and, according to Baseball America, he already is — but for now, a speedy center fielder is the one working alongside major leaguers, making a fast impression.

“I’m really grateful and proud of the opportunities the Padres have afforded me,” Margot said through an interpreter. “When you switch organizations, sometimes things don’t necessarily go well or you’re not necessarily comfortable. But thankfully, everything here has been great.”

Margot, an $800,000 signee out of the Dominican Republic in 2011, experienced a steady rise through Boston’s system. He was the 2012 Red Sox Minor League Latin Program Player of the Year, split 2014 between both levels of Single-A and last season reached Double-A. He garnered national attention with an excellent start to 2015, going 62 consecutive at-bats without striking out, before his production was slowed by a shoulder injury.


After hitting .293 with 12 home runs and 42 stolen bases in 2014, Margot finished 2015 batting a combined .276 with six homers and 39 steals.

He is back at full strength this spring, evidenced by his work alongside other outfielders such as Melvin Upton Jr. and Jon Jay.

“Manny Margot moves at a different rate than everybody else on the diamond right now,” Green said. “He’s got a ton of range in the outfield.”

Green compared Margot’s athleticism to that of a young Jose Reyes, the Rockies shortstop and a former teammate with the Mets. An ex-infielder, Green remembers going through agility-ladder drills with a number of other players.


“Then you’d see Jose Reyes go through, and it was almost like the roadrunner following the coyote,” Green said. “We were moving so slow compared to him. He just moved at a completely different clip.

“(Margot) moves at a rate that very few guys do. The way he moves reminds me of Jose.”

Margot likened his game to that of a two-time All-Star center fielder.

“If I had to give a player name, I’d say Carlos Gomez,” Margot said. “I pride myself on picking up on things quickly. In regards to Gomez, someone who can hit, someone who can run, someone who can field, someone who can do everything well.”


Said Green: “The at-bats, the nice thing is you see aptitude in him, too. (Hitting coach) Alan Zinter started doing a few things with him in the cage, and the next day he starts lining balls all over the field. He’s just quick aptitude, quick study.”

Ranked baseball’s No. 56 prospect by Baseball America, Margot could begin this season in Double-A, though Triple-A is possible as well.

“There’s still a lot to learn for him,” Green said. “You watch his routes around the bases; they’re not as clean as we want them to be. You watch where he hits the base when he runs; it’s not as clean as where you want it to be. But he’s moving quick. … He’s on the right path.”