Cesar Prieto

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #17 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Prieto signed with the Orioles as one of the top players out of Cuba in January 2022, after defecting the previous May from Cuba’s national team during an Olympic qualifying trip in Miami. Prieto debuted that spring with High-A Aberdeen and reached Double-A by late May. He returned to Double-A to begin 2023 and earned a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk on June 20 before he was traded to the Cardinals as a part of the trade for Jack Flaherty.
  
  Scouting Report: Prieto is an advanced contact hitter with a .299 career minor league average in more than 1,000 plate appearances. He utilizes a line drive-focused swing with an aggressive approach focused on putting the ball in play. Prieto makes this approach work with an uncanny ability to get his bat on pitches all over the strike zone, on the fringes and out of the zone. This hyper-aggressive approach limits Prieto’s walks. Prieto has fringe-average raw power, but his swing and approach are not optimized for power. He’s likely to produce 8-11 home runs per season with full time at-bats. Prieto is a below-average runner who’s unlikely to steal more than a few bases, though his average fielding at second base and average arm give him supporting skills beyond his hitting ability. He saw extensive time at third base in 2022, but played primarily second in 2023.
  
  The Future: Prieto is a hit-first utility player with second-division regular upside.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #25 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Prieto was one of the top young players in Cuba when he defected on an Olympic qualifying trip to Miami in May 2021. The following January, he signed with the Orioles for $650,000, as he still at age-22 had to fit within teams' international bonus pools. Prieto had a strong month to begin his pro career at High-A Aberdeen, but struggled through the rest of the season a level up at Double-A Bowie.
  
  Scouting Report: The advanced bat-to-ball skills that were Prieto's calling card in Cuba and give him an above-average hit tool ultimately led to his most significant challenges in his first professional season. Prieto struggled to adapt his approach and learn to lay off pitches on the fringes, even if he could get his bat to them, and pitchers started coaxing him into swings on the edges and low-quality contact as the season went on. While he went on a power run in April thanks to some added strength before he signed, Prieto might never have better than below-average pop, and will need to improve his strength and swing decisions to help him maximize his gap power. He proved adequate at third base and second base during the season.
  
  The Future: The infield is well populated with talent on the Orioles' farm. Prieto has the contact skills to make the big leagues with further refinement, but it might be in a bench role.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Prieto was one of the top young players in Cuba when he defected on an Olympic qualifying trip to Miami in May 2021. The following January, he signed with the Orioles for $650,000, as he still at age-22 had to fit within teams' international bonus pools. Prieto had a strong month to begin his pro career at High-A Aberdeen, but struggled through the rest of the season a level up at Double-A Bowie.
  
  Scouting Report: The advanced bat-to-ball skills that were Prieto's calling card in Cuba and give him an above-average hit tool ultimately led to his most significant challenges in his first professional season. Prieto struggled to adapt his approach and learn to lay off pitches on the fringes, even if he could get his bat to them, and pitchers started coaxing him into swings on the edges and low-quality contact as the season went on. While he went on a power run in April thanks to some added strength before he signed, Prieto might never have better than below-average pop, and will need to improve his strength and swing decisions to help him maximize his gap power. He proved adequate at third base and second base during the season.
  
  The Future: The infield is well populated with talent on the Orioles' farm. Prieto has the contact skills to make the big leagues with further refinement, but it might be in a bench role.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Prieto was one of the top young players in Cuba when he defected on an Olympic qualifying trip to Miami in May 2021. The following January, he signed with the Orioles for $650,000, as he still at age-22 had to fit within teams' international bonus pools. Prieto had a strong month to begin his pro career at High-A Aberdeen, but struggled through the rest of the season a level up at Double-A Bowie.
  
  Scouting Report: The advanced bat-to-ball skills that were Prieto's calling card in Cuba and give him an above-average hit tool ultimately led to his most significant challenges in his first professional season. Prieto struggled to adapt his approach and learn to lay off pitches on the fringes, even if he could get his bat to them, and pitchers started coaxing him into swings on the edges and low-quality contact as the season went on. While he went on a power run in April thanks to some added strength before he signed, Prieto might never have better than below-average pop, and will need to improve his strength and swing decisions to help him maximize his gap power. He proved adequate at third base and second base during the season.
  
  The Future: The infield is well populated with talent on the Orioles' farm. Prieto has the contact skills to make the big leagues with further refinement, but it might be in a bench role.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 45. Speed: 50. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  The most advanced player the Orioles signed is Cesar Prieto, a 22-year-old Cuban second baseman who performed well at a young age for Cienfuegos in Cuba's top league, Serie Nacional, and is beginning his career in High-A Aberdeen. While Prieto lacks big power or speed, his bat could be good enough to carry him to a big league role. He's a smart, savvy player who has a mature approach and a good eye for the strike zone. Prieto didn't strike out much in Cuba, and while he has yet to be tested much since then, the early returns have also shown little swing and miss to his game. He never showed much power in Cuba, but he added 15-20 pounds since leaving and has started to drive the ball with more impact, though it's likely always going to be a hit-over-power profile. An average runner, Prieto is an offensive-minded infielder who projects best at second base.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Prieto performed well at a young age for Cienfuegos in Cuba&#39s top league, Serie Nacional, before leaving the country. He continued to show a relatively advanced offensive game working out for clubs before he signed with the Orioles on Jan. 15, 2022. Scouting Report: At 22, Prieto will move faster than most international signings. He&#39s a smart, savvy player who has a mature approach and a good eye for the strike zone. Prieto didn&#39t strike out much in Cuba, and while he has yet to be tested much since then, the early returns have also shown little swing-and-miss to his game. He never showed much power in Cuba, but he added 15-20 pounds since leaving and has started to drive the ball with more impact, though it&#39s likely always going to be a hit-over-power profile. An average runner, Prieto is an offensive-minded infielder who projects best at second base. The Future: Prieto is advanced enough that he will begin his career in High-A Aberdeen. While he lacks big power or speed, his bat could be good enough to carry him to a big league role.