8695
by civ ollilavad
BA writeups on the International top 50 include our 3
Cleveland Indians
Gabriel Rodriguez, ss, Venezuela (No. 8 prospect)
Junior Sanquintin, ss, Dominican Republic (No. 21 prospect)
Angel Martinez, ss, Dominican Republic (No. 39 prospect)
Jesus Lara, ss, Venezuela
Sterling Romero, of, Dominican Republic
Luis Ostos, of, Venezuela
Dayan Frias, ss, Colombia:
8
Gabriel Rodriguez
Venezuela SS
Notes:
Born: Feb. 22, 2002 | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R
Scouting Report: Rodriguez is one of the most talented hitters in the class, with a long track record of hitting in games, including last year as Venezuela’s shortstop at the COPABE 15U Pan American Championships in Colombia. Rodriguez has a short, simple swing that’s balanced, direct and efficient. He a mature hitting approach, tracking pitches well with good strike-zone discipline and the ability to use the whole field. Rodriguez has a chance to develop into a plus hitter, with emerging power as well over the last year as his strength has increased. His raw power is near average now, with a chance to develop into a 20-homer hitter. Rodriguez has the ability to stay at shortstop for now, though many scouts project him to eventually slide over to third base. Rodriguez has a strong arm, good body control and his defensive mechanics are sound, but his first-step quickness and lateral agility will need to improve to stay at the position. Whether his future is at shortstop or third base, his offensive production projects well at either spot, and he earns widespread praise as a baseball rat. Rodriguez trains with Javier Mendoza and is expected to sign with the Indians.
21
Junior Sanquintin
Dominican Republic SS
Notes:
Born: Jan. 8, 2002 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 185 | B-T: B-R
Scouting Report: While Sanquintin might not stay at shortstop for long, it’s his offensive potential that is the draw for scouts. He has fast bat speed from both sides of the plate and has flashed average raw power. There’s strength in his swing and he drives the ball with impact when he finds the barrel. Scouts highest on Sanquintin saw strong game performance from him last summer, although at MLB showcases he did have a high swing-and-miss rate, on pitches in and out of the strike zone. He’s an aggressive hitter who will have to make adjustments to take a more selective approach against better pitching. Sanquintin might start his career at shortstop but doesn’t figure to stay there much longer. Hitting comes more naturally to Sanquintin than defense, and while some scouts have questions on whether he will end up in an outfield corner, his fielding has improved over the past year. With more development, he has a chance to play third base. The Indians are the favorites to sign Sanquintin, with a bonus likely coming in a little above $1 million. He trains with Wilkin Ramirez and Jaime Ramos.
39
Angel Martinez
Dominican Republic SS
Notes:
Born: Jan. 27, 2002 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 160 | B-T: B-R
Scouting Report: Sandy Martinez, who is now the Dominican Summer League manager and Dominican field coordinator for the Nationals, spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues as a catcher, mostly with the Blue Jays and Cubs. One of his sons, Sandy Martinez Jr., is a catcher for the D-backs on their DSL, and another, Angel Martinez, is a 2018 shortstop prospect. Angel Martinez doesn’t have the same explosiveness in his tool set relative to some of the other Dominican shortstops on this list, but his baseball acumen and all-around game awareness is high for his age. Martinez has been tagging along to work out along side pro players since he was little, and no surprise given his background, he’s a fundamentally sound player in all phases of the game. He’s a switch-hitter with fair bat speed but a simple, efficient swing that produces a high contact rate. He’s a line-drive hitter who uses the whole field with occasional doubles power and good strike-zone judgment. Martinez is a 45 runner with a chance to stay at shortstop, where he reads hops well and has a good internal clock, along with a solid-average arm. He’s more steady than flashy, and some scouts think he could end up at second base. The Indians are the frontrunners to sign Martinez, who is represented by El Niche and is projected to sign a mid six-figure deal.