Jose Torres

Torres was a BA 500 player out of high school thanks to his flashy defensive play at shortstop. Two years later and he’s frequently cited as the best defensive shortstop in the country. The Dominican-born infielder is listed at 6 feet, 171 pounds and is the latest shortstop to come out of a North Carolina State program that has produced first-round picks in Trea Turner (2014) and Will Wilson (2019) in recent years. Torres doesn’t have the offensive upside of either of those players, but scouts believe he’s a plus defender who covers plenty of ground despite fringy speed. His instincts in the field are tremendous, he reads hops well and has advanced footwork around the bag with the ability to throw from multiple angles and arm slots with plus arm strength. That conviction in his defensive tools gives him at least a floor as a utility infielder and defensive specialist, with his overall upside depending on the progression of his hitting ability. He performed well as a freshman in the shortened 2020 season (.333/.369/.533) but that came with a strikeout rate over 30%. He cut the strikeout rate to around 17% this spring, while hitting .294/.352/.514 through 47 games, but scouts are still skeptical of his swing and the swing-and-miss tendencies he’s shown against breaking balls. Torres has some sneaky pull-side pop but doesn’t figure to be a big home run threat, with a thin and lean frame that might never be overly physical.