Padres' First-Round Draft Pick Calls Out Dodgers in Opening Press Conference

The San Diego Padres selected right-handed pitcher Coleman Borthwick out of South Walton High School in Florida with the 21st pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Borthwick is a high school pitcher who has a ton of upside, which has been the preference of the Padres' selections over the years. The right-hander fits the mold that San Diego loves, and the team couldn't be happier that he fell to them.

While fans should be excited about the pick of Borthwick, his comments in his opening press conference will only make them like him even more. Borthwick called out the Los Angeles Dodgers shortly after being drafted by the Padres.

“I’ve dreamed for this since I was a kid,” Borthwick said of being drafted. “I’m ready to play some baseball, especially over there in California. I’m ready to go beat the Dodgers. That’s my main goal. Whenever I heard San Diego, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the team to beat the Dodgers.’”

This will make him a fan favorite in San Diego before he even throws a pitch, with the right-hander understanding the culture around the organization. But before Borthwick can take on the rivals, he will need to prove himself to the franchise on the field.

His goal is to win with this team, which will also be music to the ears of the Padres' faithful.

“We don’t want to be our best at the beginning of the year. We want to be the best at the end to win a high school state championship or a Team USA gold medal and a World Series for the Padres," Borthwick said.

“That’s my goal: To be durable at the end, not at the beginning.”

Who is Coleman Borthwick?

During his senior year in high school, Borthwick recorded an astonishing 0.21 ERA over 65.2 innings. The right-hander went 11-0 and struck out 121 batters en route to winning the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award in Florida.

It's clear why the Padres wanted to bring Borthwick into the organization, and the upside for the right-hander to become an ace is there. Borthwick has a 6-foot-6 frame, and his fastball can be dynamic, touching 97-98 mph.

Coleman Borthwick's stuff matches his frame — FB sits 92-96, touches 97-98 with bore, and the SL is already a whiff pitch at 2700+ spin. CH shows depth when executed. Effort in the delivery is a flag, but the fastball/slider combo alone plays. #2026MLBDraft https://t.co/aKjTquxiXa
— Shaun Kernahan (@ShaunKernahan) July 11, 2026

Borthwick isn't just a pitcher, as he played third base, as well. Borthwick hit .460 in his senior season, and while he would love to stay on as a two-way star, he will likely be pushed to only pitch.

“I’ve always wanted to do both as long as I can, until baseball tells me I can’t,” Borthwick said. “Right now, baseball’s telling me that I can’t. Because it’s going to hold me back from making it to the big leagues and being the best player I could possibly be.”

Overall, it seems that the Padres got a great prospect here in the draft, with the team being very excited to have him. It will be a while before he faces off against the Dodgers in the big leagues, but if and when that day finally comes, he'll clearly be ready for the challenge.

Add us as a preferred source on Google