The Padres Share a Border With Tijuana, Yet Have No Players Representing Team Mexico

World Baseball Classic rosters were announced this week, and the Padres organization will be represented by eight players across five teams. Headlining the group are Dominican superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., along with American flamethrower Mason Miller.

One notable takeaway from the roster announcements, however, is the absence of Padres players on Team Mexico. Despite sharing a border with Tijuana and boasting a massive Mexican fan base, the organization has failed to recruit significant Mexican talent over the past decade. That disconnect will now be highlighted in a WBC featuring no Padres representatives for Mexico.

As of now, the only Mexican player in the Padres organization with MLB potential for 2026 is No. 11 prospect Tirso Ornelas. The 25-year-old outfielder had a strong season in Triple-A El Paso in 2025, hitting 10 home runs and posting an .833 OPS en route to his first MLB call-up. He struggled in his major league debut, however, producing a .071/.188/.071 slash line.

Given the shared border and the Padres’ hypothetical ability to scout high-level talent in Tijuana less than an hour away, this lack of representation is disappointing.

Not only would increased Mexican recruitment better serve a fan base with deep ties to the country, but it would also be a strategic move to boost a farm system that was recently ranked 30th in baseball.

Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk is the current star of Team Mexico and helped Toronto reach the World Series in 2025. Kirk was elite on both sides of the ball, finishing with a 116 wRC+, an impressive 11.7% strikeout rate, and fielded plus-24.9 outs above average, according to FanGraphs. He has developed into one of the best defensive catchers in baseball while maintaining an elite bat.

Kirk’s success underscores the Padres’ failure to fully capitalize on their proximity to the border. Not only is Kirk Mexican, he was born and raised in Tijuana. He trained at facilities in southeastern Tijuana just 35 minutes from Petco Park. The Padres could have scouted him thoroughly and offered an opportunity to stay close to his family during development. Instead, he was signed by the Blue Jays as a teenager.

Cubs starter Javier Assad followed a similar path, training at many of the same Tijuana facilities. While his career hasn’t been as glamorous as his catcher counterpart, Assad’s arm would be a welcome addition to a Padres pitching staff lacking depth. In his most recent healthy season in 2024, Assad threw 147 innings with a 3.73 ERA and a 4.61 FIP.

The good news is that San Diego could be headed in the right direction. The Padres recently signed left-hander Diego Serna on international signing day - a 16-year-old from Ciudad Obregon, for $1 million. Serna features a 6-foot-3 frame, a low-90s fastball, a low-80s changeup, and a high-70s breaking ball. His impressive pitch speed differences and lengthy frame show real upside.

While Serna is not a Tijuana native, the Padres did utilize their geographic advantage to evaluate, as he threw multiple bullpens for scouts in Tijuana throughout his development.

If the Padres want to really take advantage of their scouting proximity, they will need to commit to identifying and developing more Mexican talent - both to strengthen the farm system and better represent a fan base that deserves it. The next Alejandro Kirk should be a Padre.