DePaula
has changed his story so many times, presented several different
birthdates and rifled through so many different representatives that
it's hard to know what to make of his true age or his background. No
matter how old he really is (his listed date of birth makes him 22 in
March), DePaula has a terrific arm and is a legitimate prospect who
should move quickly. He spent the year in the DSL carving up inferior
competition, but the real test will come in 2013 against full-season
hitters. On the prospect radar since 2008, DePaula has an electric
fastball that sits at 93-96 mph and touches 98-99. With long arms and
huge hands, DePaula is athletic, has good mechanics, pitches downhill
with great mound presence and is a good strike thrower. He mixes in a
sharp, power curveball that should be an out pitch and shows feel for a
changeup, though it's not something he used much against DSL hitters.
DePaula did have some shoulder soreness as an amateur, but he has all
the other ingredients to remain a starter.
|
|
G
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
ERA
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
AVG
|
14
|
14
|
8
|
2
|
0 |
1.46
|
62
|
35
|
18
|
10
|
2
|
18
|
85
|
.162 |
|
|
Every
year the Tigers add talent out of Venezuela, where they're one of four
teams left with an academy and a team in the Venezuelan Summer League.
Last year Venezuelan outfielder Avisail Garcia (a 2007 signing) made his major league debut, while Venezuelan second baseman Harold Castro
(a 2011 signing) had a strong U.S. debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast
league. The Tigers had two intriguing infielders in the VSL last year
who signed in 2011. Javier Betancourt, the nephew of former Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo,
had a good year at the plate and has a more polished approach to the
game than Fuentes. However, Fuentes has louder tools and is showing
signs of developing baseball skills. Fuentes, who signed for $210,000
out of Nelson Zapata's program, is a plus runner with athletic actions, a
quick transfer and a plus arm. He needs to play under better control,
but he has the raw tools to be a quality defender at shortstop. Fuentes'
offensive game is further away than Betancourt's, but he followed up a
decent VSL season by going to the Liga Paralela (the minor leagues of
the Venezuelan League) and hitting .315/.362/.528 in 116 at-bats. The
switch-hitting Fuentes isn't a slugger but he has some extra-base juice
in his bat that will come out more frequently if he continues to make
strides with his hitting approach.
|
|
| AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
226
|
23
|
58
|
8
|
4
|
2
|
25
|
18
|
47
|
8
|
8
|
.257
|
.317 |
.354 |
|
|
Too often, Dominican righthanded hitters with power and a free-swinging approach get compared to Vladimir Guerrero,
a singular player with uncanny tools and hand-eye coordination who
missed a 40-40 season in the big leagues by one home run in 2002. In the
case of Gabriel Guerrero,
we'll make one small exception. After all, he is Vlad's nephew.
Guerrero's batting stance and mannerisms evoke his uncle, and while he's
not a five-tool player, he's one of the most exciting hitters the
Mariners have signed out of Latin America in years. Repeating the DSL as
an 18-year-old, things clicked for Guerrero as he went on to win the
league's MVP award despite leaving in August to join the Rookie-level
Arizona League, where he continued his strong season at the plate.
Guerrero showed good bat speed and above-average raw power while
training with Basilio Vizcaino (known as "Cachaza") in the Dominican
Prospect League, and former Latin American coordinator Patrick Guerrero
stayed on him to sign him for $400,000 in January 2011. As Guerrero
matured as a hitter, his approach and contact frequency improved.
Guerrero didn't run well before he signed, but he's improved his speed
and has the arm strength to play right field, though like many young
Dominican outfielders he's still learning how to take proper routes on
fly balls.
|
|
| AB |
R |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
200
|
38
|
71
|
9
|
4
|
11
|
54
|
21
|
28
|
4
|
6
|
.355
|
.409 |
.605 |
|
|
Lupo was the Mets' top international signing in 2010, when he signed for $350,000 out of Jose Montero's
program. A member of Venezuela's team at the 16U World Championships in
2009, Lupo struggled in his pro debut in the DSL in 2011 while battling
an illness, hitting .197/.325/.379 with 59 strikeouts in 49 games.
Healthy in 2012, Lupo had a breakout season. He led the DSL with a .500
OBP (aided by a league-high 18 hit by pitches), ranked second in
slugging and tied for second with 10 home runs. The book on Lupo as an
amateur was that he had big power but was an inconsistent hitter because
of his free-swinging approach. Lupo generates power with both bat speed
and strength, especially in his wrists and forearms. His hitting
approach has also improved, which resulted in him striking out at a
lower clip last season. Lupo doesn't run or throw well and is strictly a
left fielder, so all of his value is going to come from his offensive
game.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B |
3B |
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
204
|
58
|
70
|
18
|
3
|
10
|
45
|
46
|
45
|
12
|
7
|
.343
|
.500
|
.608 |
|
|
Margot
played in the Dominican Prospect League in 2011 and was one of the
premium prospects that year for July 2, when he signed with the Red Sox
for $800,000. Margot, who is from Villa Altagracia and trained with
Franklin Ferreira, had one of the best debuts among last year's
signings. Margot has a lean, athletic frame and exciting five-tool
potential. He hit well in games for scouts before signing and had little
trouble handling DSL pitching. Margot has good bat speed, a line-drive
swing and takes pitches on the outer half to the right-center field gap.
He has a hitch in his swing that he's worked to smooth out, but he's
able to get his hands into hitting position on time, adjusts to pitches
on the inner half and is able to manipulate the bat head well, so he
doesn't get beat often. Margot mostly has gap power now, but he makes
loud contact and should continue to add power. Margot's plus-plus speed
is a weapon on the bases (his 33 steals ranked third in the DSL) and in
the field, leading DSL outfielders in putouts. He has excellent range,
gets good reads off the bat, tracks down balls in the gaps and has a
plus arm, so he has all the ingredients to be an outstanding defensive
center fielder.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG |
260
|
49
|
74
|
10
|
7
|
4
|
45
|
36
|
25
|
33
|
9
|
.285
|
.382
|
.423 |
|
|
The
Diamondbacks have brought some intriguing arms into their system from
the international ranks in recent years, including a pair of Venezuelan
righthanders—Erick Leal and Jesus Castillo—who were used in an offseason
trade to acquire Tony Campana
after they debuted last year in the DSL. The best arm of the group
right now is Martinez, who signed out of Restauracion for $55,000 in
June 2011. Martinez originally signed as Jose Fermin,
though there was never any issue over his age or identity. When his
father (Ramon Eladi Martinez Fermin) declared him, his name was
mistakenly transcribed with his second last name first, so he now uses
the Martinez surname. When the Diamondbacks signed Martinez, he was a
skinny 17-year-old with an 85-88 mph fastball. He quickly started
throwing harder, touched 93 the winter after he signed, then continued
to add velocity last year. His lively fastball sat at 91-94 mph and
touched 96 last summer, pitching well enough to make the jump to
short-season Yakima for a pair of starts at the end of the year.
Martinez already has a power arm and might have a little extra velocity
projection remaining. He threw a 70-75 mph curveball when he signed and
has since added power to that pitch as well. His curve is now a hammer
at 80-84 mph, a plus pitch with good depth and vicious bite. There is
some effort in his mechanics, but he has a loose arm, repeats his
delivery and throws strikes well for his age.
|
|
| G |
GS |
W |
L |
SV |
ERA |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
14
|
14
|
5
|
2
|
0 |
1.72
|
73
|
57
|
25
|
14
|
0
|
22
|
71
|
.218 |
|
|
Luis
Coronado has been the trainer for a handful of big league pitchers,
including Rays righthander Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) and
Cubs righthander Carlos Marmol.
In September 2011, Mella signed with the Giants out of Coronado's
program as an 18-year-old for $275,000. He had a strong season in the
DSL, where his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fifth in the
league. Mella got his fastball up to 92-93 mph when he signed, but he
projected to be a power arm and has already added velocity. He now sits
around 91-93 mph and has pumped his fastball up to 95. He also has a
good curveball that helps him miss bats. He needs to bring along his
changeup. Some scouts thought before he signed that Mella might end up
in a bullpen role, but he showed good feel for pitching last year.
|
|
G
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
ERA
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
AVG
|
14
|
14
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
2.47
|
69
|
59
|
22
|
19
|
3
|
28
|
75
|
.225 |
|
|
The Rockies had a host of intriguing players on their DSL team in addition to Payamps and Aquino. Outfielder Raimel Tapia is a good hitter with a sound swing path and a projectable body, while second baseman Miguel Dilone
also had a strong year at the plate. The Rockies had scouted Payamps
since he was 14, then made him their top international signing in 2010
when they signed him out of Luis Polonia's program for $465,000 on July
2. Payamps touched 91-92 mph before he signed and has been up to 94-95
mph. With the way his arm works and his athletic, projectable body, he
could add more velocity. Payamps has a smooth, repeatable delivery and
has always impressed scouts with his feel for pitching. He also shows
feel for his secondary stuff, with his changeup his second-best offering
ahead of his curveball right now.
|
|
G
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
ERA
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
AVG
|
12
|
12
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
3.02
|
60
|
43
|
27
|
20
|
1
|
16
|
38
|
.196
|
|
|
The Rangers signed Pinto for $350,000 on July 2, 2011 in a package deal with Venezuelan lefthander Yohander Mendez
from Luis Blasini's program. Mendez also performed well last year,
though his 86-89 mph is still a projection at this point. Pinto, who is
from Valencia, doesn't have a ton of tools but has a knack for hitting.
Before he signed, Pinto hit .329/.396/.409 with just 11 strikeouts in
164 at-bats playing in the Liga Paralela (the minors of the Venezuelan
League) as a 15-year-old, so his advanced hitting came as no surprise.
He led the DSL in hitting, ranked second in OBP and had the
second-lowest strikeout rate in the league. Pinto has outstanding
hand-eye coordination, good plate coverage and hits line drives to all
fields. The question mark on Pinto is his ceiling and future role, since
he doesn't have many other tools. He's listed at 5-foot-11, though that
may be charitable by a couple of inches, and power will never be his
calling card. He played all three outfield positions last year, but he's
not quite an average runner, so center field would be a stretch. Pinto
shouldn't have any problems hitting in the low minors, so Double-A and
above should be his real test.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
222
|
47
|
88
|
13
|
1
|
1
|
29
|
31
|
13
|
8
|
6
|
.396
|
.475
|
.477 |
|
|
When
Reyes was an amateur player in Venezuela, he trained with Ricardo
Petit, who is the brother of Atlanta's Venezuelan-based assistant
director of Latin American operations Rolando Petit.
Reyes signed with the Braves for $365,000 on July 2 in 2011, making him
their top international signing that year. Reyes attracted attention as
an amateur for his size and power potential, but he proved to be an
adept hitter despite dealing with an injury that limited him to DH last
year. Reyes is a patient hitter with good plate coverage for a big man,
showing the ability to handle pitches on both halves of the plate. Reyes
only had three extra-base hits, but with his large frame he could get
up to 220-225 pounds and should develop a lot more sock. Reyes runs well
for his size but he projects to slow down once he gains more weight. He
has a solid arm and should be back in right field this season.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG |
162
|
40
|
48
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
33
|
31
|
39
|
12
|
6
|
.296
|
.418
|
.315 |
|
|
Segovia
generated some attention as a Venezuelan shortstop who became eligible
to sign on July 2, 2011, but he didn't sign that summer and ended up
with the Blue Jays for $30,000 that December. After hitting well in his
debut to become Toronto's DSL player of the year, Segovia could prove to
be a bargain, as could Andres Sotillo,
a Venezuelan catcher signed for $11,000 the next month who hit well in
the DSL. Segovia, who like Sotillo trained with Nelson Montes de Oca,
tried switch-hitting as an amateur but is now exclusively a righthanded
hitter. He stood out more in the field than at the plate when he signed,
but he surprised with his hitting last year. He works the count with a
good hitting approach and good bat-to-ball ability. He has below-average
power, so his offensive game is more about getting on base. He stole 18
bases but he's not a burner, with average speed and good baserunning
instincts. Segovia split time between shortstop, third base and second
base, with Colombia's Edwin Fuentes getting the majority of reps at shortstop. Segovia has good awareness in the field with sound hands and a solid arm.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG |
164
|
33
|
49
|
12
|
2
|
1
|
18
|
22
|
33
|
18
|
6
|
.299
|
.398
|
.415 |
|
|
The
DSL Rockies ranked third in ERA and issued the fewest walks in the
league, mostly on the strength of a prospect-laden starting rotation
rather than relying on older arms. As a result, the Rockies placed three
pitchers on the DSL/VSL Top 20 prospects list including Senzatela, a
Valencia native who signed in 2011 for $250,000 from the program of
former Red Sox outfielder Jose Malave. Senzatela showed why he was the
top international pitcher Colorado signed in 2011 by leading the DSL in
ERA (0.72) despite being one of the league's youngest players. Senzatela
signed throwing 88-92 mph, but he now sits in the low-90s and touches
94-95 as he's added strength to his broad-shouldered frame. He's not as
physical or athletic as Payamps, but Senzatela also has a repeatable
delivery and excellent feel for pitching. He throws strikes with
downhill angle and works in the lower part of the strike zone. He has a
good changeup, though he's a little stiff-wristed, which hampers his
curveball.
|
|
G
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
ERA
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
AVG
|
13
|
12
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
0.72
|
63
|
40
|
10
|
5
|
0
|
14
|
35
|
.179 |
|
|
The Rays have a strong presence in Venezuela, where they were extremely aggressive last year to sign lefthander Jose Castillo, righthander Jose Mujica and catcher David Rodriguez.
One of their best 2012 signings from the Dominican Republic might end
up being Toribio, who signed for $65,000 last year in January. Toribio,
who is from Santo Domingo, is a quick-twitch athlete who's starting to
scratch the surface of his potential. He has a good idea of what he's
doing at the plate for his age and a line-drive swing, though he doesn't
have much power right now. His plus speed helps him get on base, steal
bags and gives him good range at shortstop. Like many young shortstops
he needs to cut down on his mistakes in the field, but he has the
ability to play shortstop with an above-average arm.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
208
|
34
|
59
|
10
|
3
|
1
|
25
|
18
|
43
|
13
|
3
|
.284
|
.346
|
.375 |
|
|
The Cubs had bonus babies like Venezuelan third baseman Mark Malave ($1.6 million) and shortstop Luis Acosta ($1.1 million in 2011) in the DSL last year, but both of them struggled. Lefthander Carlos Rodriguez and outfielders Jeffrey Baez and Roberto Caro
had strong seasons, but the Cubs' best prospect in the DSL last year
was Torrez, who signed for $25,000 when he was 17 in December 2010. In
his second DSL season, Torrez ranked third in ERA and had the lowest
walk rate in the league, with just four walks to the 280 batters he
faced. Torrez, who is from Esparanza, isn't just a soft tosser. Torrez
has a physical build and sits at 90-93 mph with good sink and run on his
fastball. He commands all of his pitches, including a hard slider and a
changeup that he has feel for, but he doesn't have a putaway pitch yet,
which is why he didn't strike out more batters.
|
|
G
|
GS
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
ERA
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
AVG
|
14
|
13
|
6
|
3
|
0
|
1.21
|
75
|
57
|
14
|
10
|
6
|
4
|
50
|
.213 |
|
|
Two
of the Padres big-ticket international signings from 2011 showed
promising signs last year in the DSL. Dominican corner outfielder Franmil Reyes
is an enormous 17-year-old who displayed impressive power potential.
Urena, who signed for $550,000 from Mexico City of the Mexican League,
also showed plenty of sock in his bat for a corner outfielder and a
projectable frame. Urena attracted attention at the 16U COPABE Pan
American championships in Mexico in 2010, when he was teammates with
Blue Jays righthander Roberto Osuna.
He's continued to impress with his plus raw power and a good approach
to hitting for his age. His swing does get long, so it's something he
may have to make adjustments with to cut down on strikeouts as he moves
up the minors. Urena has a good arm as well that should fit in right
field.
|
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
214
|
37
|
61
|
13
|
3
|
6
|
33
|
28
|
58
|
3
|
6
|
.285
|
.382
|
.458 |
|