C.J. Abrams updates

We'll be posting daily updates on Padres shortstop C.J. Abrams this season, with the latest news on the No. 9 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline.

April 12: Abrams draws a couple walks, goes 0-for-2
Abrams went 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout in the Padres' 13-2 loss to the Giants at Oracle Park. Tuesday's showing dropped his batting average on the young season to .091 (1-for-11).

April 10: Abrams hitless in one plate appearance
Abrams came into the Padres' 10-5 victory over the D-backs at Chase Field in the eighth inning and got one at-bat, popping out in the top of the ninth. That dropped his batting average on the young season to .111 (1-for-9).

April 9: Abrams records first Major League hit
Abrams picked up the first hit of his Major League career in the Padres' 5-2 win over the D-backs in Arizona. It came in the ninth inning against closer Mark Melancon -- Abrams hit a soft liner into left field to lead off the frame, eventually coming around to score San Diego's fifth and final run on a José Azocar single.

April 8: MLB debut highlighted by defensive play
While his first career hit didn't come in his Major League debut, C.J. Abrams still found a way to make in impact on the game. Abrams made spectacular plays at shortstop in both the first and ninth innings for the first highlights of his MLB career. His debut at the plate didn't start on the right foot, though, as he went 0-for-4 and was caught stealing after reaching on a fielder's choice. He showed some prowess with the bat, hitting a 383-foot flyout to the right field wall in the sixth, which would have been a home run in 13 MLB parks. Gameday »

April 7: What to expect from Abrams in MLB
C.J. Abrams’ elite speed, athleticism and overall hitting ability helped separate him from his peers in the 2019 Draft class. A few years later, those skills helped him land a spot on the Padres Opening Day roster.

Abrams has played just 76 games in the Minors -- and just 42 above High-A -- but the uber-talented athlete showed enough in Spring Training to give the Padres confidence that he’s ready to compete at the game’s highest level. Full story »

April 5: Abrams plays right field in Spring Training finale
C.J. Abrams' fantastic spring ended with a bit of a surprise twist. In the Padres' Cactus League finale, a 9-6 loss to the White Sox, Abrams entered the game as a replacement ... in right field?

Yes, right field. The middle-infield prospect hadn't taken any reps as an outfielder until the finale. Yet there he was, playing in a game setting. More »

April 5: Abrams pushing for roster spot
The closer we get to Opening Day, the more likely it is that C.J. Abrams will open the season on the Padres’ roster.

There’s a vacancy at shortstop, of course, with Fernando Tatis Jr. slated to miss three months because of a fractured left wrist. And Abrams, the Padres’ top prospect in the MLB Pipeline rankings, has done just about everything in his power to claim the final infield spot.

Perhaps the question is no longer whether Abrams will make the Padres’ roster. It’s now: What role will he fill? More »

April 2: Abrams sprinting toward roster spot
The Padres invited top prospect C.J. Abrams to big league camp this spring and told him to go win a roster spot.

Sure looks like Abrams is winning it. More »

April 2: Abrams tallies two hits in push for Opening Day roster.
Abrams led off and manned second base for the Padres on Saturday, tallying a double, a single and a stolen base before being replaced in the sixth inning. The 21-year-old has impressed at the plate while pushing for a spot on the Padres’ Opening Day roster, mashing two homers with a .367/.387/.600 slash line and a .987 OPS in 14 games. Abrams’ 2021 season was cut short by a fractured left tibia and sprained MCL suffered last July, but the tools that made him the sixth-overall pick in 2019 have been on full display this spring. Despite only having 42 games of experience at Double-A, Padres fans may not have to wait long to see Abrams at Petco Park.

March 22: Is an Opening Day roster spot realistic?
Could C.J. Abrams break camp with the Padres? It's certainly a possibility, particularly if MLB Pipeline's No. 9 overall prospect continues his strong performance. Through five Cactus League games, Abrams was 5-for-11 (.455) with a pair of homers and three RBIs.

"I feel good -- everything, the timing, seeing the ball well," Abrams told MLB.com. "I've been working. ... I'm just keeping it all present, working day by day, trying to get better every day. I'm trying to show what I've got."

With wrist surgery sidelining Fernando Tatis Jr. for three months, the opportunity is there for Abrams to be on San Diego's Opening Day roster.

"I really just take it day by day," Abrams said. "If I make the team, I make the team. I'm just trying to get better." Full story »

March 20: Another day, another homer
One day after walloping his first homer of the spring, C.J. Abrams cleared the fences again. The former first-round Draft pick is off to a quick start in Cactus League competition, equaling his homer output during an injury-plagued Minor League campaign in 2021. Despite playing in just 42 games with Double-A San Antonio, Abrams batted .296 with a .783 OPS and 13 stolen bases.

Although the 21-year-old has yet to play a game above Double-A, the injury to Fernando Tatis Jr. has opened the door for Abrams to cr.ack the Padres' Opening Day roster

March 16: No. 3 among top shortstop prospects
Already the owners of one of the brightest shortstops in the game, San Diego has yet another waiting in the wings in C.J. Abrams. The Georgia native checked in at No. 3 on MLB Pipeline's Top 10 shortstop prospects for 2022 behind the Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. and the Yankees' Justin Volpe.

Armed with 80-grade speed, Abrams "Can get from the left side of the plate to first base in less than four seconds and knows how to use his speed. His quickness helps him get on base, where he has racked up 28 steals in 76 pro games, and helps him cover ground at shortstop. It also will come in handy if the presence of Fernando Tatis Jr. in San Diego means Abrams winds up moving to center field." Full story »