Sanabria played two years at Indian River State (Fla.) JC and slashed .400/.471/.578 as a sophomore in 2022. The Padres took him in the 18th round that July and signed him for just $50,000. He slowly solidified himself on the prospect radar and enjoyed a breakout season in 2024 in which he climbed three full-season levels from Single-A to Double-A. He finished with a .288/.396/.427 line, 11 homers and 30 doubles over 125 games. He led the organization in on-base percentage and two-baggers and finished second in average and hits (130). Sanabria got in 15 extra games in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .276 with a .709 OPS.
From the left side, Sanabria looks relaxed at the plate and hits out of an open stance before getting in line with a leg kick. He ran a solid in-zone contact rate in 2024, and while he’ll whiff at the occasional secondary, he can handle fastballs well. When he gets beat, it tends to be toward the outside half. With typical solid plate discipline, he’s been a solid OBP producer, and some in the organization are wondering when or if he’ll stop hitting. That said, it’s hit-over-power right now. He topped out with a 109.1 mph exit velocity in the Fall League, but typically his pop plays best in the gaps.
Sanabria got some brief catching experience after signing, but as a 30-grade runner, he’s basically locked into first base. Improving his footwork over there will be a priority moving forward, so that he can provide value beyond what he shows in the box. Generating more power would also help his case to be a future starter at the cold corner.
Sanabria played two years at Indian River State (Fla.) JC and slashed .400/.471/.578 with four homers and a 28/30 K/BB ratio in his final spring as a sophomore in 2022. The Padres selected him in the 18th round that summer and signed him for only $50,000. Sanabria has fought for his place since, opening his first full season in the Arizona Complex League and then getting the bulk of this spring at Single-A Lake Elsinore, where he slashed .311/.433/.493 with eight homers and more walks (48) than strikeouts (46) in 59 games. San Diego promoted him to High-A Fort Wayne in late June.
The left-handed slugger looks relaxed at the plate, starting with a slightly open stance before opening a leg kick that allows him to lift and pull on the ball. He’s worked high walk rates and on-base percentages at every stop up the chain, and he has the strength to reach 20 homers when given a full season of at-bats. He’s started to get a little more exposed at High-A, however, as his K rate has crept up and he’s hitting more harmless infield flies instead of driving the ball toward the grass.
Sanabria needs to hit because he’s limited to first base defensively with well-below-average speed. He was actually drafted as a catcher but played only six professional games there in 2022 before moving to the cold corner permanently the following year. His progression from such a low pick has made for a fun journey through the Padres pipeline, but Double-A will prove a real test of whether Sanabria can break through to the top level someday.
