San Diego Padres: Are You Satisfied with Their Early Draft Picks?

I know I'm a few weeks late on a draft analysis for the San Diego Padres, but it's better to be late than never.

The Padres have some massive rebuilding to do, which they already started with the Mat Latos trade.

But, there are still some areas the Padres needed to improve upon heading into this year's draft, mainly pitching.

And, I think it's safe to say, they addressed that in the early rounds.

Here's a look at the Padres' picks in the first round and the compensation first round.

First Round (No. 7): Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)

Sure, Mark Appel was still on the board, but it's hard to pass on the best left-handed prospect in the draft.

Max Fried has a fastball that is between 90-93, but that should improve as he bulks up with the Padres.

He also has a pretty good curve and changeup, with great control, which is why he was so high on many draft boards.

The biggest unknown is how he's going to mature.

As the Padres have seen, high draft picks that are coming out of high school haven't fared that well so far as Matt Bush was a bust, and it seems that Donavan Tate may be headed that way as well.

However, if he can mature and understand what his role is in the organization, then by the time 2016 rolls around, he could be a starter in a major-league rotation.

Projection: No. 4 starter in 2016, No. 2 starter by 2018.

Supplemental First Round (No. 33): Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty HS (FL)

With a fastball that sits in the low 90s, but can reach as high as 97, Zach Eflin is the type of power pitcher the Padres like.

And, his changeup is even better, one that Baseball America described as, "one of the best in the prep ranks."

Like Fried, Eflin is going to be able to add some bulk with the Padres, which should add a lot to his pitches, and hopefully give a little more to his curveball, which he's having a hard time throwing consistently.

He'll take a little more time to develop, especially considering he only has two pitches he can use with confidence right now.

Projection: No. 3 starter by 2018

Supplemental First Round (No. 44): Travis Jankowski, OF, Stony Brook

Stony Brook made an improbable run to the College World Series and outfielder Travis Jankowski was one of those players who helped them do it.

This year, he hit .414 with five home runs and 46 RBI. He also had 18 doubles, 11 triples and 36 stolen bases.

What Jankowski has going for him is that he makes solid contact with the ball and gets on base. If you can do that in the big leagues, especially at the top of the order, you'll have a long career.

While some reports, don't give as much credit to his bat, I think he'll translate well into the big leagues.

His range in the outfield is top notch as he can range to right and left-center with relative ease.

Overall, I think this was a great pick by the Padres and is one that will benefit them quicker than their previous two picks.

Projection: Starting outfielder by 2014.

Supplemental First Round (No. 55): Walker Weickel, RHP, Olympia HS (FL)

The Padres continued with the theme of pitching by selecting Walker Weickel with their final pick of the supplemental first round.

Weickel has a good fastball that sits in the low 90s with good control.

Coast to Coast Prospects projected Weickel as one of the riskiest picks in the entire draft, but if it all pans out, the reward will be greater.

And, since the Padres had already selected two starters earlier, they probably thought it was worth the risk.

I, on the other hand, am not a big fan of this pick simply due to the fact that he tagged in his final year of high school ball.

Maybe there was something else going on there, but regardless, the Padres will be tasked at developing him and hopefully turning him into a serviceable pitcher.

Projection: Will be a starter for two years in the minor leagues, before team converts him to a long reliever, which will be his ticket to the big leagues.