Two Padres Prospects Named to AFL All-Star Roster

Two prospects in the San Diego Padres organization were named to the AFL All-Star roster this week . Outfielder Alex McCoy and right-handed pitcher Kannon Kemp impressed this fall, following the regular season, among a group of some of the most promising players representing their teams in Arizona. Another prospect, infielder Justin DeCriscio , could result in a third Padre selection as he remains a candidate for the last roster spot for the National League. Padres Outfielder and Pitcher Named to AFL All-Star Team Outfielder Alex McCoy’s Impressive Capabilities Alex McCoy has established himself as a name to pay attention to for Padres fans this fall . The outfielder’s offensive talents have been highlighted throughout October. His viral 118-MPH, 435-foot home run summarized his capabilities and the power production he’s capable of. The long ball remains the hardest-hit ball in AFL history to date. McCoy is the #26 prospect in the Padres organization, and his performance this fall may see his prospect rankings rise in the near future. Through 16 games, he tallied five home runs along with 15 RBIs and a .273 batting average. Additionally, McCoy displayed his speed with 11 total stolen bases. The outfielder has no shortage of tools that could be useful at a time when San Diego appears to have a potential vacancy in left field . Previously undrafted, McCoy signed as a free agent and has played the majority of his short career at the High-A level for the Fort Wayne TinCaps. In August of this year, he was promoted to Double-A San Antonio, where he played 25 games and retained a .314 average. With improvement in his numbers upon his promotion and an exceptional season in the AFL, the likelihood of McCoy being considered to climb the organizational ladder is relatively high. Right-Handed Arm Kannon Kemp Named to AFL All-Star Team Pitcher Kannon Kemp also made this year’s AFL All-Star team, though his numbers weren’t as impressive as McCoy’s on paper. After pitching to a 7.71 ERA across 14 innings pitched, the inclusion of Kemp on the All-Star team appears to be a prospect-development story. As the #13 prospect in the Padres organization, Kemp was drafted in 2025 and spent last year in High-A alongside All-Star teammate Alex McCoy. Kemp has not displayed impressive numbers across his professional career as a whole. The high regard for the power arm is largely due to his 6’6″ build and a fastball reaching 100 MPH. Kemp also represented the Padres in the 2025 Arizona Fall League. Kemp’s AFL and Padres teammate, Francis Pena , threw to more exceptional numbers after striking out 20% of the hitters he faced in the 2026 AFL season. Pena is the #19 ranked prospect and joins six other Padres prospects who were left off the AFL All-Star team. Ty Harvey (#4) and Winyer Chourio (#15) were not mentioned for All-Star consideration, after Harvey rebounded after a rough start and Chourio logged a 3.29 ERA, despite slight command issues. Infielder Justin DeCriscio is the Padres’ last hope in terms of contributing to the AFL All-Star roster. DeCriscio has been nominated as a candidate for the final NL roster spot, with voting concluding November 6. The 2025 draft pick out of the University of San Diego continues his trek towards taking his talents back to San Diego after reaching Double-A in 2026. DeCriscio’s talents could best serve the Padres as a utility infielder, among a team with aging infield starters requiring an increasing number of off-days in the regular season. After starting the 2026 season in Single-A, he was promoted twice before the end of the season, logging 20 games for San Antonio. With five separate organizations possessing four players in the AFL All-Star game, the Padres hope to include a late-add in DeCriscio. The Last Word With two, and potentially three, Padres players being sent to the AFL All-Star game, San Diego has begun exploring the potential contributions that each young prospect could provide at the big-league level. The question remains how general manager AJ Preller views the talents of each prospect. The success of each prospect is promising while the MLB team contains vacancies upon the end of the 2026 season and free agency beginning. Known for his notorious deadline transactions , Preller may leverage the success of the prospect’s talents as trade pieces to support the MLB team and make a World Series push. The AFL season will conclude Sunday, November 8, with the All-Star game on MLB Network. Main Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports More MLB News: Two Productive Cardinals Who Should Be Traded This Offseason Brett Baty Could Hold Third Base for the Pirates Until Top Prospect Is Ready Three Important Questions for Dodgers Before 2027