As a lefthander with size and power, Avila fits the profile of a first baseman. His performance also has the Mariners encouraged, as he wound up tied for the AZL lead with seven home runs in his first year in the United States after three in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League. Avila has a sound swing and can overpower pitches. He's very aggressive at the plate, a flaw pitchers exploited after his promotion to low Class A, where he hit .159 with 22 strikeouts in 88 at-bats. AZL managers liked his smooth glovework around first base
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