SAN DIEGO -- Everywhere he's ever played baseball, Luis Urias has excelled at reaching base.
It's pretty important he continues to do so in San Diego.
Urias, 21, is MLB Pipeline's top-rated second-base prospect, and he arrived at Petco Park on Tuesday night in the Padres' 2-1 victory over the Mariners. He made a brilliant diving stop on the first play of the game, and he'd finish 0-for-3 with a walk.
"He's going to play like an everyday type player," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He's going to get his chance. He's a guy we believe in, and we love his on-base skills."
That last part is particularly important. The Padres have finished last in the Majors in on-base percentage in each of the past four seasons. They're ranked 29th this year.
As it would happen, Urias' ability to reach base is his best skill. Though he doesn't boast much power, he's owned one of the Minors' best hit tools for the past few years. In parts of five professional seasons, Urias has posted a .397 OBP, and it's .398 at Triple-A El Paso this season.
"I'm the kind of player that can get on base," Urias said. "That's my style of play -- to put the ball in play and score a couple runs."
Urias hit grounders in all three of his at-bats Tuesday, including an eighth-inning liner off the pitcher that caromed directly to first base. But his sixth-inning walk was probably the best indicator of his skill set.
Urias fell behind in the count, 1-2, against Mariners starter Felix Hernandez. He saw three offspeed pitches barely outside the zone, and he didn't chase any.
"I know everybody wants to get their first hit on the first day of the job," Green said. "But for me, the first walk, I'd actually like to get that ball and keep it, because I think that's what separates him from so many other people."

In each of the past four seasons, rookie right-hander Brett Kennedy has played alongside Urias in the Minor Leagues. Kennedy faced Urias during Spring Training this year and recalled the difficulties of doing so.
"He recognizes pitches better than any hitter I've seen," Kennedy said.
That type of player has been noticeably absent in San Diego. The Padres are one of baseball's most swing-happy teams. Historically, it's extremely difficult (though not impossible) to take undisciplined hitters and make them disciplined.
There's one tried and true method for overhauling a team that's undisciplined at the plate: Find players who are good at reaching base in the first place. Until this year, Urias had never, at any level, struck out more times than he'd walked.
"Up-and-down throughout the system, we're seeing guys have quality ABs," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "... We've put a focus on it from a scouting standpoint, guys who get on base successfully. He's been one of the guys for us."
"He fights off borderline pitches and takes borderline pitches when he needs to," said Green. "He's done that since the day he got signed. He's always had a really good eye at the plate, and that's an attribute that's intrinsic to him and tough to develop in a lot of guys. He's just that way. That's a welcome thing for us."

For now, Urias is going to play second base, where he's most comfortable. Come mid-September, Urias will get a few reps at shortstop as well.
As things stand, the Padres don't have a readymade option at shortstop next year. Freddy Galvis will be a free agent this offseason, and it's unlikely that No. 1 prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. makes the big league roster out of camp. Preller wouldn't rule out the possibility that Urias could play short next season.
"Most likely, his home will be second base," Preller said. "But he's shown enough that when you look at third base and shortstop, he gives us options going into next year. When we try to map out, 'How do we start next year, and who's competing for what spots?' he'll kind of tell us what his long-term role is going to be."
Wherever Urias plays defensively, the Padres see his long-term role as an on-base threat and a run-scorer at the top of their lineup.
Earlier this year, agent Scott Boras made headlines during Eric Hosmer's introductory press conference for calling the Padres' top-ranked farm system, "Hot talent lava." Eventually, Boras said, that lava would be molded into "Major League rock."
On Tuesday, Preller was asked if Urias' arrival was part of that process. He left no doubt.
"He's on-base rock," Preller replied.