Jeison Guzman

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #13 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Originally signed by the Royals for $1.5 million during the 2015 international signing period, Guzman took four years to start tapping into his potential. He put himself back on the prospect radar in 2019 with a respectable season at low Class A Lexington, followed by time with the Dominican Republic national team at the Premier 12 tournament.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Guzman's defense alone may get him to the big leagues. He's a plus defender with at shortstop solid footwork and a good arm, and the leadership he shows on the field stands out. Guzman showed growth at the plate in 2019. He is slowly generating more quality at-bats, staying in the zone better and staying on the ball through his swing. He hasn't moved completely away from his free-swinging ways and will need to cut down on strikeouts. While Guzman has gotten stronger, he is still a light hitter overall.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman's ceiling may not get much above the role of a utility infielder, but if he continues making strides at the plate he could project as a regular shortstop batting at the bottom of the order. He will head to high Class A Wilmington in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #27 prospect in 2017
  The Royals spent lavishly on the international market in 2015, signing outfielder Seuly Matias for $2.25 million and Guzman for $1.5 million. They knew the outlay would put them in the penalty box and restrict their international spending limits--no player could sign for more than $300,000--in 2016 and 2017. The early returns are encouraging, however. Guzman, like Matias, skipped straight to the Rookie-level Arizona League for his pro debut in 2016. Guzman is a promising shortstop with potentially average power down the road. His line-drive, all-fields approach already gives him the ability to find the gaps. A switch-hitter, his swings show promise from both sides of the plate, and his pitch recognition is reasonably advanced for his age. Some question whether Guzman is twitchy enough to stay at shortstop. He's a smooth athlete with fluid actions, but his range may be limited by his lack of burst, and his arm is merely average, not the plus cannon teams desire. He's a tick below-average runner.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #29 prospect in 2016
  If Matias is the Royals' big swing at a high-risk, high-reward prospect in the 2015 class, Guzman fills the other end of the spectrum. By signing both of them the Royals exceeded their bonus allotment and will face international signing restrictions in 2016 and 2017. Where Matias is already physically impressive, Guzman, signed for $1.5 million, lacks present physicality and strength. Guzman has plenty of athleticism and his baseball skills were some of the most advanced in the 2015 international class. Guzman should be able to remain at shortstop as a pro as he has the actions, hands and footwork teams look for when they write a 6 by a player's name in the lineup card. He's a below-average runner right now, but there is some thought that as he gets stronger he'll speed up, much like Raul Mondesi did for Kansas City. He has a quick initial burst to go with an average arm and a quick release. At the plate, the switchhitter shows some understanding for working counts. His lefthanded swing is ahead of his righthanded swing right now.

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Originally signed by the Royals for $1.5 million during the 2015 international signing period, Guzman took four years to start tapping into his potential. He put himself back on the prospect radar in 2019 with a respectable season at low Class A Lexington, followed by time with the Dominican Republic national team at the Premier 12 tournament.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Guzman’s defense alone may get him to the big leagues. He’s a plus defender with at shortstop solid footwork and a good arm, and the leadership he shows on the field stands out. Guzman showed growth at the plate in 2019. He is slowly generating more quality at-bats, staying in the zone better and staying on the ball through his swing. He hasn’t moved completely away from his free-swinging ways and will need to cut down on strikeouts. While Guzman has gotten stronger, he is still a light hitter overall.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman’s ceiling may not get much above the role of a utility infielder, but if he continues making strides at the plate he could project as a regular shortstop batting at the bottom of the order. He will head to high Class A Wilmington in 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Originally signed by the Royals for $1.5 million during the 2015 international signing period, Guzman took four years to start tapping into his potential. He put himself back on the prospect radar in 2019 with a respectable season at low Class A Lexington, followed by time with the Dominican Republic national team at the Premier 12 tournament.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Guzman's defense alone may get him to the big leagues. He's a plus defender with at shortstop solid footwork and a good arm, and the leadership he shows on the field stands out. Guzman showed growth at the plate in 2019. He is slowly generating more quality at-bats, staying in the zone better and staying on the ball through his swing. He hasn't moved completely away from his free-swinging ways and will need to cut down on strikeouts. While Guzman has gotten stronger, he is still a light hitter overall.
  
  THE FUTURE: Guzman's ceiling may not get much above the role of a utility infielder, but if he continues making strides at the plate he could project as a regular shortstop batting at the bottom of the order. He will head to high Class A Wilmington in 2020.