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MLB Insider Highlights Padres 22-Year-Old as Prospect to Watch

The Spanish prospect with an American last name has an unusual background.
J.P. Hoornstra|
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers outfielder Ryan Wideman (33) attempts to save a three home run hit by Georgia Tech Yellowjackets pitcher/infielder Alex Hernandez (4) during the first inning on May 30, 2025.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers outfielder Ryan Wideman (33) attempts to save a three home run hit by Georgia Tech Yellowjackets pitcher/infielder Alex Hernandez (4) during the first inning on May 30, 2025. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

As the San Diego Padres scour the MLB landscape for help before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, questions have emerged about which Padres prospects could be on the move between now and then.

A quick glance at the Padres' top prospect list will reveal many of the names that will surface in trade rumors this summer. But one prospect has a back story that deserves a deeper look.

When the Padres drafted outfielder Ryan Wideman out of Western Kentucky in the ninth round of the 2025 draft, few knew they were getting the son of a professional athlete — or a Spaniard.

Wideman, 22, has put his name on the radar with a strong season in center field at Class-A Lake Elsinore.

"In the Padres farm system, Ryan Wideman is one name to watch," MLB Network's Jon Morosi wrote.

Wideman slashed .324/.348/.486 in May. He stole 19 bases in 26 games, and now leads all minor leaguers with 37 steals this season.

Wideman is the son of Tom Wideman, a four-year center at Clemson University who played basketball professionally in Spain. It was there that Tom Wideman met his wife; the family moved back to Tom Wideman's home state of Georgia, where Ryan and his two brothers were raised.

Before the Padres took Wideman with the No. 99 overall pick last year, MLB Pipeline tabbed him as “one of the toolsiest and more physical college players” in the draft class.

The Padres signed Wideman to an under-slot bonus of $650,000.

Flash-forward a year, and it's clear Wideman is knocking down the door for another promotion.

Wideman has drawn just as much attention for his defense in center field as his prowess at the plate. A team contending for the postseason might fast-track him to the big leagues just to keep his glove on the bench as a late-inning replacement.

Wideman was selected to represent the Padres at the "spring breakout" game in March, a prospect showcase in which the Padres played a team of Chicago Cubs prospects at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.

There, Wideman made a highlight-reel catch in deep center field to rob Cubs prospect Pedro Ramirez of extra bases.

Catcher Ethan Salas might be the only Top 100 prospect in the Padres' system, but once again it appears president of baseball operations AJ Preller is unearthing valuable youngsters.

If Wideman isn't deemed a part of the Padres' future with center fielder Jackson Merrill already signed to a long-term contract extension, he should fit in nicely somewhere outside of San Diego — someday.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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