PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Padres Want Oxnard Shortstop With First Selection in Draft

Barring an unforeseen change of plans by one of the teams drafting ahead of them, the Padres on Monday will select infielder Dmitri Young of Rio Mesa High School of Oxnard in the June Free Agent Draft.

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, could not confirm the Padres’ choice, only to say he’s one of the Padres’ top candidates.

“You’ll find out Monday,” McIlvaine said, his eyes glistening. “It’s the funnest day of the year. It’s certainly the most suspenseful.”

Young, 17, who played shortstop in high school but will play third base or left field professionally, is nearly unanimously considered by scouts as the best high-school position player in the draft. Young, 6-feet-2 1/2, 215 pounds, batted .486 during his career with 29 homers and 127 RBIs in 104 games.

Although he has signed a baseball scholarship with the University of Miami, Young has informed scouts that he will sign a pro contract. He likely will command a signing bonus of at least $275,000.

At least three members of the Padre front office have taken scouting trips to see Young. He also had a private workout Monday afternoon at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium in front of Padre scouts, impressing them by hitting four home runs.

“I could see him in the big leagues at 20,” one American League scout said. “He’s a clone of Kevin Mitchell. If he’s there, believe me, the Padres will take him.”

The Padres, who have a severe shortage of third basemen, plan to play Young at third base until he proves he can no longer play the position. If he can not play third base, the Padres then would move him to left field.

It’s unknown whom the Padres will select with their second pick, the 31st in the draft, but they likely may take outfielder Shawn Green, of Tustin (Calif.) High School. The Padres brought Green, 6-feet-4, 180 pounds, in for a workout Saturday afternoon and are hoping he lasts until the 31st pick.

The only San Diego County player who’s expected to be drafted in the first round is shortstop Benji Gil of Castle Park High of Chula Vista. Scouts say he could be drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with the No. 15 pick, or by the Boston Red Sox with the 23rd pick. Pitcher Mike Bovee of Mira Mesa High also is likely to go in the first 10 rounds.

Here is the expected order of the top 10 picks in Monday’s draft according to a survey of scouting directors, farm directors and scouts:

1. New York Yankees: Brien Taylor, LHP, Beaufort, N.C.

2. Atlanta Braves: Mike Kelly, OF, Arizona State.

3. Minnesota Twins: Dave McCarty, 1B, Stanford.

4. St. Louis Cardinals: Joey Hamilton, RHP, Georgia Southern.

5. Milwaukee Brewers: John Burke, RHP, Florida.

6. Houston Astros: Kenny Henderson, RHP, Ringgold, Ga.

7. Kansas City Royals: Joe Vitiello, OF, Alabama.

8. Padres: Dmitri Young, shortstop, Onxard, Calif.

9. Baltimore Orioles, Sean Estes, LHP, Minden, Nev.

10. Philadelphia Phillies: Tyler Green, RHP, Wichita State.

The weekly ex-Padre player of the week: shortstop Garry Templeton.

Templeton may not have done much yet in a day for the New York Mets, but he kept the Padre clubhouse awfully amused Saturday when they read his ripping diatribe.

There’ll be one player drafted Monday that will have particular interest to Padre third-base Coach Bruce Kimm. Tyler Kimm, his oldest son, is expected to be the seventh player drafted out of their hometown of Norway, Iowa, since the inception of the draft.

The six players who have been drafted out of Norway, population 583:

Dick McVay, 1968, fourth pick of the St. Louis Cardinals; Bruce Kimm, 1969, No. 7 pick of the Chicago White Sox; Max Elliott, 1971, the No. 6 pick of the Padres; Steve Stumpff, 1976, 15th round of the San Francisco Giants; Mike Boddicker, 1978, sixth pick of the Baltimore Orioles; and Aaron Van Scoyoc, 1989, 21st pick of the New York Yankees.

Amos Otis, former Padre batting coach, is waiting by the phone hoping to soon join Manager Hal McRae, his close friend on the Kansas City Royals coaching staff.

McRae, who played 10 years with Otis for the Royals, said that he’d like to hire Otis as his outfield/baseunning coach, but it likely would not occur until the off-season. The only coach McRae is expected to hire in the immediate future is a bench coach. It was offered to Steve Boros of the Dodgers, but he declined.

“I’d love to join him,” said Otis, who was fired at the 1990 All-Star break as the Padres’ batting coach. “I’ve got my fingers crossed. But right now, I’m so happy for him, I can’t believe it.

“I’m telling you, they couldn’t pick a better guy. He’ll turn that team around.”