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| Born: 09/26/1994 (Age: 20) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 175 |
| Mechanics |
| Build: Wiry frame with long legs; high waist; room for additional growth even with the naturally wiry frame.
Mechanics: three-quarters arm slot; long arm action with big rotation; above-average arm speed; high leg kick; hips and shoulders can get out of sync; mild drive with a slightly inverted land; rushes and loses tempo often; causes him to fly open when he overthrows; overall easy mechanics; 1.31 – 1.41 delivery times |
| Evaluator | Tucker Blair |
| Report Date | 05/04/2015 |
| Affiliate | Hagerstown Suns (Low-A, Nationals) |
| Dates Seen | 4/29/15 |
| OFP/Risk | 45/High |
| Realistic | 40; Middle Relief/Long Relief |
| MLB ETA | 2018 |
| Video | No |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 50 | 55 | 89-92 | 94 | Below-average command; T93 3x; T94 1x; mild plane; mild boring action; worked north and south; was not missing barrels but was able to consistently keep the ball out of the air; refinements in command and/or stamina built up for higher sustained velocity could help boost this offering. |
| CB | 40 | 50 | 73-77 | 79 | Below-average command; 11/5 offering; inconsistent arm speed replication; currently lacks consistent depth and spin; will hang in the zone at times; other times it lacks spin altogether; best pitch shows moderate depth and spin around 76-77 velo band; refinements in release points and arm speed replication will make this an average offering. |
| CH | 20 | 40 | 86-87 | 87 | Poor command; mild feel; inconsistent arm speed replication; displayed mild fade a few times; release points and refinement in arm speed could help boost offering slightly. |
| Overall |
|
Reyes is a Dominican pitcher with two potential average offerings. The body has projection, and Reyes shows feel for all three pitches. The mechanics are clean and the delivery is easy. While the development path is long for him, there is still a chance he can stick as a backend starting option if he can show further refinement in the changeup. If not, Reyes will be able to play his fastball/curveball combo into a middle relief role. |
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| Born: 04/07/1993 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 210 |
| Mechanics |
| Plus arm speed; smooth, deliberate three-quarters delivery with medium pace and high leg lift; full extension; deceptive front side; pitches with plus plane and angle; rushes all aspects of delivery and often lands on stiff front leg from stretch; command falls a full grade+ from stretch. |
| Evaluator | Al Skorupa |
| Report Date | 05/04/2015 |
| Affiliate | Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA, Red Sox) |
| Dates Seen | 4/18/2015; 5/2/2015 |
| OFP/Risk | 60/Low |
| Realistic | 60; No. 3 Starting Pitcher |
| MLB ETA | Mid 2015 |
| Video | No |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| Fastball | 55 | 65 | 92-97 | 97 | Sinks and runs; sometimes turns over; double-plus velo with plus command and plus movement from windup; throws fastball inside and out to both right-handed & left-handed hitters; misses bats down and can also elevate for strikeouts; fastball rides up from stretch. |
| Slider | 45 | 55 | 84-88 | 1-7 downer; flashes sharp tilt; medium depth; tight spin; throws to both sides of plate with average command; doesn't always stay on top and pitch slurves out. | |
| Changeup | 50 | 55 | 86-89 | Sink and some fade; at times too firm and turns over; plus command and good feel. |
| Overall |
|
Left-handed mid-rotation starter with a 65 fastball and plus command but no real plus secondary offering. Fastball his most effective swing-and-miss pitch. Problems repeating his delivery from the stretch. |
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|
| Born: 12/25/1995 (Age: 19) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 215 |
| Primary Position: RF | |
| Secondary Position: LF | |
| Physical/Health |
| Strong, square shoulders, strong arms and muscular forearms; thick lower half, big thighs, strong base; there’s potential for bad weight here, so he’ll have to keep up the conditioning.
Mechanics: Sets up with a slightly open stance with his hands away from his body and around ear level.
|
| Evaluator | Mauricio Rubio Jr. |
| Report Date | 04/30/2015 |
| Dates Seen | 04/15/2015, 04/17/2015 |
| Affiliate | Clinton LumberKings (Low-A, Mariners) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2018 | High | 55 | Realistic – 50 Major League Regular | No |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 45 | Has pre-swing noise before he loads up, gets quiet when it’s time to swing; plus bat speed; leaks with the front side, swing can get out of sequence; swing plane is power driven at present, which will hurt the contact rate; selectively aggressive, gets good extension at the plate; can’t get hands around on fastball on the inner half at present, but has the wrist strength and bat speed to eventually catch up to velo in. |
| Power | 60 | Plus-plus raw power, will play down to plus due to contact limiting in-game utility; leveraged swing, creates good back spin on the ball; power is pull oriented at present, but natural strength and plus bat speed lend hope that opposite field power will come. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 40 | Deliberate runner, runs like he’s angry at the ground; won’t be a factor on the basepaths, has enough speed for a corner outfield spot; will lose speed as he fills out. |
| Glove | 45 | Bad first step, below-average reads in the field, range will play to fringe average. |
| Arm | 60 | Plus arm strength, ball has good carry and it skips hard when he two hops it in; at present the accuracy is below average. |
| Overall |
|
Alex Jackson is struggling with an aggressive assignment to the Midwest league. In my viewing, Jackson was cheating to get to the fastball in which left him vulnerable to soft stuff away. While that was concerning, I also saw Jackson sting some balls down and in and put good backspin on the ball on a few fly outs. Jackson is a very raw product at present and his skill set is more promise than material, but I think the promise is there. Jackson has the bat speed to figure out how to cover the inner half and he has a dream power-hitter’s frame. The work in the field isn’t anything to write home about, but he can get to acceptable defense for a right fielder if the arm accuracy improves and he starts reading the ball better off the bat. OFP – 55 Solid Average Regular |
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| Born: 03/27/1993 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 205 |
| Primary Position: LF | |
| Secondary Position: RF | |
| Physical/Health |
| Wide framed, athletic build. Broad shoulders; strong upper body. |
| Evaluator | Al Skorupa |
| Report Date | 05/04/2015 |
| Dates Seen | 4/23/15; 4/26/15 |
| Affiliate | Binghamton Mets (AA, Mets) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| Mid 2016 | Medium | 50 | 45: Fringe-average/Platoon corner outfielder | No |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 45 | Average bat speed; simple swing mechanics; tiny stride; stiff lead and sometimes loopy bat path; good idea of the strike zone, but passive approach at the plate; takes pitches all the way in hitter’s counts; no real plan of attack; rarely looking to do damage; poor at-bats against same-handed pitching. |
| Power | 55 | 55 raw; best power to pull; some uppercut in his swing; game power plays down due to passive approach. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 40 | Stocky actions running; longer strides; better underway; not a big threat on the basepaths; steals on baseball instincts more than speed; average baserunner; will go first to third. |
| Glove | 55 | Fringe-average reads and routes; corner actions, mobility and acceleration. |
| Arm | 50 | Average arm strength; accurate. |
| Overall |
|
Fringe-average/Platoon corner outfielder. No plus/carry tool. Overly passive approach mitigates effectiveness of his tools. Doesn't hit same-handed pitching. |
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|
| Born: 03/01/1993 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Left | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 211 |
| Primary Position: LF | |
| Secondary Position: | |
| Physical/Health |
| Thick build, maxed out physically; good weight presently, but body could become an issue as he ages; carries weight well, very strong. |
| Evaluator | Jeff Moore |
| Report Date | 05/06/2015 |
| Dates Seen | 4/27/15, 5/4/15, spring training |
| Affiliate | St. Lucie Mets (High-A, Mets) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2016 | Low | 55 | 50, major-league regular | No |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 55 | Quiet stance; above-average bat speed, slight natural upper cut; attacks the ball with authority, looks to drive the ball; run-producer mentality; generally patient approach at the plate, but aggressive in run-producing situations, adjusts approach to situation, shows a plan and feel for game; looks comfortable against left-handed pitching, pulls off slightly against lefties, leaving the outer half exposed, but shouldn't have a major platoon split. |
| Power | 55 | Strong frame and good bat speed make for above-average power potential; swing path leads to good loft on ball and carry, generates back spin; will drive ball to all fields, power potential not limited to pull side; looks to drive the ball, especially in hitter's counts. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 40 | More athletic than his body type would suggest, gets to top speed efficiently but overall straight-line speed is limited. 4.3 to first base. |
| Glove | 50 | Range limited because of speed, but gets good jumps and covers ground well; tracks the ball naturally; goes to the ground well. |
| Arm | 40 | Left-field only arm, quick release but below-average strength. |
| Overall |
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Conforto is an advanced bat who is already close to being a finished product. He understands his role in a lineup and looks to drive the ball. Doing so doesn't require him to over-swing, using his strength and frame to remain under control and manipulate the barrel within the strike zone. He can get beat inside with premium velocity, but it's not a significant issue. He also has some comfort issues with left-handed pitching, but no more than are typical for most left-handed hitters and not enough to force a platoon. The player doesn't offer much value with his glove or legs, putting the pressure on his bat to carry the load. He's not a bad defender, but the lack of foot speed and arm strength limit him to left field, where he will be adequate at present, but below-average as he ages. Conforto doesn't have any elite tools, but the combination of his strength and hitting talent make for a potential everyday bat in a corner outfield position. |
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Anyway, thanks. These reports are my favorite part about my BP subscription.
Jackson's current trajectory seems like near bust territory. All teams need solid outfielders and 25 homer bats, but with a top 5 overall pick, you feel like you need a star at least.
I will say I argued against placing Nimmo highly over the offseason when we did our prospect lists. This isnt me whacking him because he had a bad series. I saw him multiple times in 2013 and in spring training last couple years and he's never done much of anything for me. Didn't like the reads and routes in cf. Runs 4.3-4.4 two years ago and then again when I saw him last week. Hes pretty thickly built and he's not gonna gain a step as he ages here.
I'm sure others do like him more on our staff and elsewhere. If it wasn't clear already, I really could give two ***** about how other people rank a prospect. There's a lot of groupthink and bad evaluation both around the Internet and even in MLB Scouting Departments. There's also a ton of writers and scouts I respect the hell out of - and guess what? I'm gonna disagree with them plenty too. I see a lot of baseball and a lot of different levels of baseball. I won't be right all the time and I certainly dont think i know everything. I learn something new every time I go watch a game. Nonetheless, this is what i saw so thats what i wrote. The minors aren't full of impact players.