Korry Howell playing for the Missions in an exhibition game against Monclova of the Mexican league on April 1, 2023Korry Howell played in 48 games for the San Antonio Missions last summer. He batted .253 with 20 RBIs and six home runs in an injury-shortened season.
Howell hit 16 home runs and stole 24 bases between High A and Double-A in 2021.
The 24-year-old outfielder enters this season as the No. 13 prospect in the San Diego Padres’ system, according to MLB.com. He can also play infield and saw action at six different positions in the summer of 2021.
Howell was a 12th-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. He came to the Padres organization in the April 2022 trade that sent catcher Victor Caratini to the Brewers.
The Missions play their 2023 season home opener at Wolff Stadium on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against the Frisco Rough Riders.
Missions left-hander Aaron Leasher pitching at Wolff Stadium.The San Diego Padres on Wednesday announced the players not on their 40-man roster who have been invited to major league spring training.
The list includes several players who have recently been with the San Antonio Missions, including:
Former Arkansas star Kevin Kopps, pitching in relief for the San Antonio Missions in September 2021, is one of the San Diego Padres’ top 30 prospects.The San Diego Padres are just days away from opening 2023 spring training at their Cactus League headquarters at the Peoria Sports Complex in the Phoenix area.
The current San Antonio Missions roster, which will see changes between now and their Texas League opener on April 6, shows five players listed as Padres prospects:
Top 30 prospects (with 2022 rankings):
No. 9 Korry Howell OF/INF
No. 13 Jackson Wolf LHP
No. 14 Joshua Mears OF
No. 24 Kevin Kopps RHP
No. 25 Alek Jacob RHP
The Padres also have four players listed on their Class A+ (High A) roster. These players could make their way up to Double-A San Antonio in the near future:
Phillip Wellman, shown at 2022 San Diego Padres’ spring training, spent five seasons as the San Antonio Missions’ manager – photo by Joe AlexanderThe San Diego Padres on Wednesday announced the field staff for the 2023 San Antonio Missions.
Former Missions manager Phillip Wellman will be the 2023 manager for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. He spent five seasons at the helm in Double-A San Antonio.
Luke Montz will take over as manager of the Missions. He spent the last season as a manager in the Red Sox organization. Montz spent 13 seasons as a professional catcher.
Jeff Andrews is the Missions’ new pitching coach. He spent the last two seasons as pitching coach with the Double-A Frisco Rough Riders. He was the pitching coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008.
Pat O’Sullivan is San Antonio’s new hitting coach. This is his sixth season coaching in the Padres’ organization. He spent the last two seasons as hitting coach at Class A Lake Elsinore.
Former Missions player Felipe Blanco returns to the team as bench coach. He saw action in San Antonio in parts of 2016 and 2017. He was part of the coaching staff at Lake Elsinore the last three seasons.
Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres played shortstop and batted leadoff for the San Antonio Missions against the Wichita Wind Surge on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022, at Wolff Stadium. It was his second rehab game.
Tatis finished 0-for-3. He grounded out hard to first base in the first inning. He flied out to center in the third inning. He grounded out to third in the fifth inning after hitting a very long line drive foul down the left-field line.
His most notable defensive play was an over-the-shoulder catch on a fly ball in short left field.
He was replaced in the sixth inning.
Tatis is expected to travel with the Missions on their upcoming road trip, which begins Tuesday in Frisco, Texas.
Former San Antonio Missions shortstop CJ Abrams signs autographs before a San Diego Padres spring training game last week in Arizona.CJ Abrams is the top prospect in the San Diego Padres’ organization – although he appears to be on the verge of outgrowing “prospect” status.
Abrams spent part of last summer as the starting shortstop for the Double-A Antonio Missions. His season was cut short by an injury.
Abrams has seen plenty of action with the Padres during the current spring training and has impressed with both his defense and batting. With the Padres’ regular shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. currently out with an injury, Abrams could find himself on San Diego’s opening day roster.
Abrams is capable of playing both shortstop and second base. There have also been media reports that the Padres have given thought to him being used as a backup in center field.
The 6-foot-2, 21-year-old Abrams was a first-round pick by the Padres in the 2019 baseball amateur draft.
San Antonio Missions shortstop and San Diego Padres prospect CJ Abrams playing against the Corpus Christi Hooks on Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.CJ Abrams made highlight plays this season as a batter, base stealer and infielder for the San Antonio Missions.
Abrams left Wednesday night’s game at Wolff Stadium after colliding with teammate Eguy Rosario while both were going after a ground ball up the middle.
It appears that was Abrams’ final game of the summer. Media covering the San Diego Padres reported on Sunday that he was diagnosed with a season-ending injury.
Joe Beimel, a 44-year-old who has pitched in 676 games in the majors, made his season debut on Wednesday night with the Missions at Wolff Stadium.Joe Beimel was drafted as a college player by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1998 – before some of his current San Antonio Missions teammates were born.
The 6-foot-3 left-hander pitched 917 games over his career in the minors and majors that ended in 2016 – until this week. The San Diego Padres signed Beimel to a minor-league contract on June 13 and assigned him to the Missions on Monday.
Wednesday night in the eighth inning at Wolff Stadium, Beimel walked out to the mound as part of a major league organization for the first time in five years. The 44-year-old pitched a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout in a Double-A game, a Missions loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks.
Wednesday’s game was a possible first step back to the majors.
Beimel orignally made his pro debut in the minor leagues in rookie league in 1998 and made his Major League debut with the Pirates in 2001.
Over the next 15 years, he pitched in 676 games in the majors, all but 23 of those in relief. He spent time with the Pirates, Twins, Rays, Dodgers, Rockies, Nationals, Pirates (again) and Mariners. Beimel has a 29-34 record with five saves and a 4.06 ERA for his career.
Beimel’s final season in the majors was 2015, when he pitched in 53 games in relief with the Mariners.
In 2016 he pitched in 12 games for Triple-A Omaha. And that is where his career statistics ended – until Wednesday night.
Missions shortstop CJ Abrams is helped off the field in the ninth inning Wednesday at Wolff Stadium.San Antonio Missions star CJ Abrams left Wednesday’s game in the top of the ninth inning as the team lost to the Corpus Christi Hooks 4-0 at Wolff Stadium.
Abrams is one of the top prospects in the San Diego Padres organization. The 20-year-old shortstop collided with second baseman Eguy Rosario on a ground ball up the middle. Abrams was not putting any weight on his left leg as he was helped off the field.
The Missions’ offense managed only two hits on the night. It was the eighth-straight loss for the Missions, who were swept in their recent six-game road series against the Frisco RoughRiders.
There were some positive signs from the San Antonio pitching. Starter Aaron Leasher (4-3) took the loss, but pitched five innings and allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts.
Former big league pitcher Joe Beimel made his season debut, going one scoreless inning in relief in the eighth. Beimel last pitched in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2015.
Joe Beimel made his season debut on Wednesday with the Missions at Wolff Stadium.
Jose Azocar of the Missions points to a teammate after scoring against Midland on June 11, at Wolff Stadium.Jose Azocar has settled into his spot as the San Antonio Missions’ leadoff hitter and center fielder.
The 25-year-old from Venezuela is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, batting 12-of-28 (.429) during that stretch including a home run Thursday night in Frisco.
Azocar is batting .276 on the season and has a .361 on-base percentage with three home runs, 18 RBIs and 21 walks in 44 games.
He was signed as a free agent to a minor league contract by the San Diego Padres in November 2020 after being in the Detroit Tigers Organization.
